


Blue Psychosis

by Fandoms_R_Fun



Series: Life has issues [1]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, fluff with plot, part of a larger au, pricefield, serious yet fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-03-11 16:18:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 48,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13527966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandoms_R_Fun/pseuds/Fandoms_R_Fun
Summary: Chloe has a secret. She has her relationship with Max, but she has some problems.





	1. New life, Old Problems

_I am running. I am running, but I do not move. I do not move because I'm only running in my head. I run and I run but I can't get away, I know I never will. I feel the darkness inside. It's latched on too tight and burrowed in too far, I'm a lost cause. I have no hope. I stopped caring long ago, the day I became alone. That first day I cried, that first night I screamed, that next morning I shook. But all through out, I felt the ideas inside. I saw them again and again, but I didn't want them. They were there, holding my mind as it's hostage. I stopped caring about fun, about love, about life. I was, am a shell..._

  
I feel the wind in my hair and the rain on my face. I can hear the thunder of a far storm and I can feel the electricity on my skin. It is all tainted with a faint smell of copper. I open my eyes to see a storm, standing before me in a grand, dark glory.

  
\----------------------------------------------------

I awake to darkness. I feel that I am sitting up and breathing heavily. I am sweating and I feel a heaviness in the air. "Chloe.." a voice cuts through the darkness. I feel next to me and turn on the lamp, turning back to see max laying next to me, with a look of fear on her face.

"What is it baby? Is everything ok?"

"No. Chlo...I had a nightmare." Max wipes a tear away and I pull her close. She clings to me and I can hear her sobs muffled against my chest. I sit there and rub her back as she cries. When she finally stops I kiss the top of her head. "I can't believe it. I just can't accept that we got so lucky. That tornado missed the town, but it's still a lot to take in. especially with what else happened this last week..."

I pull back and speak in a soothing voice. "Max, it's ok. you set things right. Jefferson and Nathan are in jail, things are ok. The people are safe in this town and we made sure that justice is served. Besides, we are together. I'd go through that all again forever more to be with you.." Max lets out a final sob and nods, hugging me tight. "I know that things are going to be hard for us. We are going to have to try and go back to our 'normal' lives and try to move forward. But, I'll be here for you every step of the way".

"I know. Thank you, Chloe. You've been so nice to me and you make me feel loved"

"No problem, love. You saved my life." more than you could ever know, Max. I hope you never learn how much you really saved me...

"It's 5:30 and I don't think we're getting back to sleep. Do you mind if we get something to eat? I'm starving"

"Me too. Let make some bacon and waffles"

"HA. My favorite. It seems like I'm getting a lot of my favorites. My favorite food, my favorite place to sleep. My favorite girlfriend."

"Well, I hope I'm your favorite. I also hope there aren't other girlfriends. I'm not good with sharing" I stand up and take Max's hand, pulling her up and moving over to the dresser and putting on some sweats. I wait for Max and we head downstairs, going to the kitchen and pulling out the ingredients.

"Chloe? Why are you guys up so late? You two should go back to sleep" I jump as David speaks up from the living room. I look at Max who also has a surprised look.

"David, we can't sleep. All the drama this week, it has us on edge you know? Why are you up this early anyhow? There's no school tomorrow" what are you up to...

"I was in the army Chloe, it's a learned habit. I'm up before the sun rises and I go to be long after it sets." David says quietly, drinking some coffee and nodding to himself. "And I never thought about how...recent events were affecting you guys. My bad."

"Yeah...So, you mind if we cook some breakfast? We could make some extra for you and mom." I suggest, remembering how me and David became so tolerant of each other.

"I don't mind. Just don't be surprised when Joyce comes down stairs thinking the house is on fire when you burn your toast. Again." David chuckled and shook his head, turning on the TV and keeping the volume down.

  
\---------------------------------------------------------

  
Me and David never had a good history. My father died in his car accident and Max had to move to Seattle. I was already in a dark place, but then my mother got a boyfriend. I hated him. Mostly because I felt like mom was trying to replace dad, but also because he was strict. His military background made him very familiar with the term "Discipline". Something that I don't have nearly enough of. Add on my grief that lead to my internal numbness for a good 5 years, and you don't really have a recipe for an instant friendship.

Well, when the week started and Nathan tried to shot me, things got kinda bad. Max got Nathan's attention and I was able to get the gun away from him. We ran out of there and we tried to take down Nathan and Jefferson. We couldn't get any hard evidence, but we ended up getting a text from him. Against my wishes, we involved David and he had a few of his cop buddies tag along. They were able to arrest Jefferson before he shot me and they found his dark room.  
David not only saved my life, but he was protective. He became pretty laid back and we ended up burying the hatchet. I'm glad we did. He's a great step-dad when you get to know him.

  
\--------------------------------------------------------

"FIRE!" Joyce yelled and ran downstairs. "FIRE, DAVID!"

"Calm down Mom! I'm making toast" I say as my mom walks into the kitchen.

"CHLOE! God, why are you even up this late?" Joyce says as she leans against the counter and puts her head in her hands.

"You mean early" I say "And it's not that bad. Couldn't sleep and so we came down and cooked breakfast" I motion to the table where Max and David are sitting, eating. "We have bacon, waffles, toast, and some eggs".

"Chloe, that's nice. I'm glad that you're cooking. Gonna get into the family trade?"

"I don't know mom, I'm not really into cooking as much as I am into eating"

"I can attest to that" Max said from the table, taking another waffle and some bacon.

"Well, I'm just glad that we're all here. Let me at some of that bacon, Max" Joyce said sitting down.

_I love them. I love Mom. I love Max, more than anything in this world. And...I eve care about David. I just hope, pray even, that they never see the darker side of me. The side I hate, that I don't want. They see my attitude, but they don't know where it comes from. They just assume that it's because I'm a teenager. I hope they never find out how wrong they are..._


	2. Old habits die hard...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some explaining on the end of last chapter and some continuation of Chloe and Max's adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to state before hand that this chapter contains things that people may find disturbing. I do not mean any disrespect to people that have the problems that I will talk about in this chapter and I ask anyone with any mental health problems to please, please, please talk to someone. I would recommend seeking professional help but please at least talk to someone about your problems.

_It's silver finish shines like a light in the darkness. It's groves are mountains and valleys of steel. The knife. it's warm and inviting. It calls to me, it says my name. I feel my hands reach for it. The handle is smooth and warm. I feel my breath go away as I hold it out at arms length and plunge it into my stomach._

"Chloe?" Max says and I feel her foot rub against mine

"Yes love? What is it?" I ask nervously as I look down at my stomach and see that it is fine.

"Well, you were just spacing out. It was like you were in another world for a minute there."

"Oh, sorry. It just happens"

"Trust me, I know. Now can you pass me the bread knife already, you've been staring at it for almost a minute now." Max asked with fake impatience.

"Oh, yeah, of course..." I pass her the bread knife and stare intensely at her, willing only thoughts of her into my mind

_Ever since dad died, these ideas have been in my head. No, not ideas...compulsions. I have to keep Max safe, even from me. She can't know. Control yourself. You will be ok. You just have to focus on her. Think of the girl you love. The one who's saved you. From everyone. Even yourself._

"So Chloe" David spoke up after clearing his throat. "What are you guys gonna be up to today"

"Oh nothing much, we were just gonna..." Max started

"We're going over to Kate's house today. We wanted to check up on her and see how she's doing." I cut in. Max looked at me with confusion for a moment, but then she just nods and finished cutting some banana bread that Joyce had made after breakfast was over at 6:30. "I was gonna head over after we woke up, but I kinda figured that we'd all still be asleep at 8 am"

"Well, it's good that you two are there for Kate right now. She's had a rough time with the whole Jefferson thing and I don't think she has many friends as it is." David spoke up,"People just want to avoid getting involved with gossip when sometimes they just have to in order to help those who need somebody."

"Well don't worry, David. Max has enough heart for 3 people. We'll help her out." I spoke as I finished putting my plates on the counter and I grabbed my jacket. 

"Well sweetie, are you ready to head out?" Max asked, putting on her hoodie.

"What...oh yeah, yeah. Just...gimme a minute, ok? I gotta run to my room for a minute. I forgot my phone and my keys. Just wait by the truck." I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek when David wasn't looking.

_I know that Mom and David won't have a problem with me and Max being a thing, but I would really like to tell them myself. And they might be a little suspicous seeing as they don't get why we're so close. At least not all of it anyways._

Max heads outside as I go to my room, closing and locking the door behind me. The curtains are still shut so I turn on my light and head over to my night table. Me and Max had already gotten dressed after breakfast and I intentionally left my phone here so I could be alone before we did anything. I put my phone into my pocket and reach under my bed, feeling around until my hand touches the cold of my special box. I pull it out and place it on my bed, undoing the latches on the sides and removing the lid. I stare down at the contents. There is a knife, some money, and a note.

_I remember the day that I made this note. It was before I went to confront Nathan. I needed the money to pay off Frank, but the only reason I cared was because I wasn't going to see him again. We used to be friends, he would have extended my loan like he did every time he told me to pay up. But I'd had enough. I couldn't handle the ideas in my head that weren't mine. Those vile, horrible ideas. I needed out. The truth is I had been dead for 5 years. Even though my body was still breathing, I died with my father. And Max's leaving, that buried me. It wasn't until I saw her again that I could feel my heart beat out of more than an old habit. She saved me from Frank and Nathan and Jefferson, but she's also the one who saved me from myself. She can never know, but I will never forget..._

I close my eyes and push away the thoughts of darker days. I pull out my lighter and burn my suicide note, dropping into my empty metal trash can as it burns. I take the bag of all the money I had collected and put it in my desk drawer. Finally, I take the knife and hold it at arms length, dropping it in the drawer too.

  
_When we get back and David is gone, I'm going to return this to his gun cabinet. I don't need it anymore. I'm going to fight for my life. For max._

I laugh under my breath and mumble, "They're one in the same these days". I turn off the light on my way out and close my door, running outside to catch up with Max.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
The ride to Kate's house is slow and mostly quiet. Max is listening to some hipster toons that I have in the car. She laughed when she first saw them a few days ago, but now she just plays them and smiles at me. I pretend like I don't like her "hipster trash", but we both know that I'm just trying to keep up some of my punk fasade.

"Take the next right" Max instructed. I took that right and noticed that she was still staring at me, "Why Chloe?"

"Common girl! You're the one who got her directions text! I'm just following your orders, Captain" I throw in a little pirate joke, knowing full well she means something else.

"that's not what I mean Chloe"

_called it_

"Okay then, what do you mean?" I glance at her for a moment and catch a suspicious look.

"Why are we going to Kate's, Chlo. I know that it's the right thing to do and I would have gotten us to do it sometime soon, but you just blurted it out right in the middle of our conversation. You didn't even let me try and give some lame excuse for us to go and drive around."

_Shit. She's spent time doing her Sherlock Holmes impression and I have to get all conspicuous. ugh, I need to think these things through more._

"You know me, Max. I'm a seat of your pants kinda Gal." I see that satisfies her so I wiggle my eyebrows and add, "you have a nice seat yourself my dear"

Max looks at me with confusion, and then understands my innuendo. She slaps my shoulder and shakes her head

"Owe, meany" I stick my tongue out at her and she smiles, kissing my shoulder.

"There, all better." Max says with a smile as she nuzzles my shoulder.

"You know, Max. That's not that only place I have a boo boo..." I say in a low voice.

"Don't push it, Price. It's a dangerous game you're playing at."

"Oh, why's that Mrs. Caufield?"

"Because we're driving dumby." Max says with a bright smile.

_That smile. Just seeing one of those makes what I went through for that week worth it, but knowing that I'll be seeing a lot of those..._

I'm cut off from my train of thought by Max poking me in the ribs. "We're here, babe." I nod and park the truck, cutting the engine and hopping out, closing my door and moving over to help Max out of the truck. After she closes the door she giggles, "my hero" I bow and she giggles even more, "Such a gentleman too".

"Well, off to the house of homophobia and brimstone. By the way, it goes without saying but: Don't let on that we're gay."

"Oh come on Chloe" Max says as we reach the door, "We're her best friends! Kate is going to be open minded."

"Okay, first of all, Kate is your friend. I haven't earned her friendship yet." I knock on the door and turn to face Max, giving her a quick Kiss on the lips.

_Such euphoria from such a small action. I think Nathan actually shot me and I'm in heaven right now..._

"And secondly," I continue, "It's her parents and siblings that I am worried about." I quickly turn back towards the door as we hear it unlock. After a moment it slowly swings open to reveal Kate hiding behind it.

"MAX!" She cries, running over to hug the brunette. "Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you."

"It's great to see you too Kate" Max replies, smiling so much that her face looks like it might crack. They hug for a few moments and then Max motions towards me. "Kate, this is my friend, Chloe Price."

"Chloe." Kate nods, reaching out her hand for a handshake. Chloe looks at it and then holds out her arms, smiling as Kate grins and goes in for a hug. "You're mom makes good pancakes"

"I know, right." I reply. "So Kate, what do you want to do?"

"Well, my parents are in town with my sisters shopping, so we could go play some video games while we have the house to ourselves." Kate looks between me and Max hopefully.

"That sounds wonderful Kate. Lets go. RACE YA!" Max says excitedly. The two of them run inside and I shake my head smiling, closing the door as I enter the house. I kick off my shoes and look around at the pictures. There are different ones of Kate and some of her with what I can only assume are her family. There is a man, a woman, two girls and a boy standing beside Kate. I look across the walls and there are different small paintings of people with bibles and halos, mixed with various grades of childhood art.

"CHLOE! SHE HAS MARIO KART!"I hear Max yell from the other room.

"I'LL BEAT BOTH OF YOU!" Kate yells in reply.

"OH HELLA NO YOU WON'T!" I yell back as I chuckle to myself and walk into the living room to join them.

_Here I am, in the house of people who would never approve of me and Max being together. Here I am, making a new friend and putting the past away. This, is going to be a new start._


	3. ...no matter what...

_I am struggling. I've been doing this alone for so long, and I've buried my old problems, but the ideas are still there. The fire, so warm, so...comforting. I love the fire. I smile as I flick the lighter and the flame against my skin until it burns with a pleasant sting that grows and consumes me._

"CHLOE!" Max shouts "Stop teaming up with Kate here! You're gonna make me lose!" Max groans loudly as me and Kate cross the finish line and she is still far behind.

"Sorry, Charlie. But that's just the way the race crumbles " I say

"Hella yeah, Chloe!" Kate cheers, giving me a high five.

"Kathrine, this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Kate smiles at me and shakes her head, "The first movie reference, So it begins..."

"Well, this has been fun" Max says. "What do you guys wanna do now? I mean, we can still race if you want, but I have something I want to bring up..."

_Oh? What are you thinking babe...?_

"...It's something that you should know. If we're gonna be friends..."

  
_What is she...? MAX! NO! I just got to be friends with her! Don't do this to me! Don't Isolate me Damn it._

"Maxine. May I speak with you?" I say with my fists clenched so tight I can feel my knuckles turning white.

"Umm...sure." Max eyes me suspiciously as we walk into the other room, leaving Kate to sit on the couch. "Hey Chlo, what's...?"

_"What in the actual hell are you thinking!" I yell as Max shrinks back in fear, "STOP RUINING MY LIFE! You've already abandoned me! Don't tip this friendship away from me you...!"_

_STOP. Okay ideas, you can hurt me all I want. But I will not let you hurt the ones I love..._

"babe..." Max says in a hushed voice, pulling me from my mental freak out. "Are you going to say something or did you just want to stare at me...?" She chuckles nervously.

"Sorry," I shake my head and remember what I'm here for. "Love, are you sure that we should tell Kate? I mean... I'm just becoming her friend..."

"So beautiful, in so many ways, and still so scared of being rejected. How hurt she must have been..." Max whispered before she closed her mouth and her eyes widened slightly. "That was meant to stay in my head. Sorry..."

"No, those were kind words. Thank you..."

"Any time. As for Kate, I want to tell her because she's my friend and I think that she deserves to know. But if you really don't want me to, I'll hold off on it."

_She'd wait to tell her best friend about us, for may sake? Well if she's so kind about it.._

"Tell her"

"Are you sur..."

"Max." I place my hand over hers and our fingers naturally intertwine. "I've been sure of three things in my life more than anything else: I need you, I love you, and I trust you. Tell her."

Max blushes and nods, looking at the ground for a moment before looking at me and smiling. "You are such a romantic, Chlo"

"I will be anything and everything for you, my dear..." I tug on Max's hand gently and then let it go as we walk to confront Kate.  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I sit down and Kate gives me a kind smile.

I hope you can still bare to look at me when we're done here. That is, if you don't throw me out of your house...

I sit down next to Kate and Max sits on the other side of me. "Kate, I'm an...do you think...am I a good person?" I curse myself for stumbling over my word.

"Well I think so. Is there something wrong? Did I do something wrong? If I did anything wrong I'm so sorry. I just mess up sometimes. I'm so sorry. Please don't leave, I'm so sorry.." Kate pleads with us rapidly.

"Kate. Please, you did nothing wrong. Just let us explain." Max tries to sooth her. Kate visibly relaxes and I take a deep breath.

"Kate, me and Max, we're...dating." I hold my breath and watch for her reaction. Slowly everything begins to fade except for Kate. I see her looked shocked, and then she had a look of fear in her eyes.

_Oh no, no no no, no please no. Please tell me that I haven't messed this up. Please..._

"Chloe..." Kate says in a small voice. She moves closer to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. I realize that I've curled up and I can feel a warmth running down my cheek "It's okay. I accept you. You guys have nothing to fear from me." I uncurl and Kate gives me a strong hug.

I quietly sob a few times on her shoulder and Kate rubs my back. "But Kate, w-wha....What about your family..."

"My family doesn't know and even if they did they don't control me." The boldness in Kate's voice makes me back away and look at her. She has a smile and a look of determination. "Know how you feel, Chloe. The truth is, I've been in your position." I can hear Max gasp from behind me

"Kate, are you saying.."

"Yes max, I'm gay." Kate says nonchalantly. "Have you ever stopped to think why I was taking Victoria's bullying so hard...?" I look at her with a tearful smile.

"So, you don't...you don't hate us..?" I squeak out.

"Hate you...? No...goodness no." Kate squeezes me into a tight hug, "I love you guys. In a friendship manner that is." Kate pull back and she's blushing as she gets up and hugs Max.

I pat her on the shoulder. "We get ya Kate." I feel myself relax and I wipe the tears from under my eyes.

Now that the serious stuff is outta the way, it's time for a little relaxing.

"So, now that we're all gay and proud, I have to ask, what now?" I watch Kate as she lets go of Max and looks between me and her.

"Well, I'm not going to tell my family. No offense, but they don't even know about me. I wouldn't dare tell them." Kate places her hand on her opposite elbow the same way Max does when she's nervous or embarrassed.

_Ahh, so cute. Just like that bunny of hers._

"Well it was nerve racking enough to tell you, so thank you. I would like to come back and visit you before we turn 20." I chuckle.

Kate nods and Max smiles at me. "Well" Max says, "I think that we should go for a walk. It may be just me, but this room has been pretty warm for the last few minutes..."

"Haha, same. I'd love to go for a walk. I do that about this time of day anyways. Let me just go get my jacket and I'll meet you two outside." Kate bounds off to her room and me and Max look at each other.

_Is it going to be this hard each time? There aren't more than a dozen or so people who we're gonna come out to, but this was so anxiety inducing..._

Max walks over and hugs me, kissing my neck and nuzzling into my shoulder. "See, baby. That went well."

_I'm so glad that you can rewind time instead of see into minds. You'd never love me..._

"It went better than expected" I shrug and start for the door, putting my shoes back on. "Let's go outside. I think I need a little...fresh air."

_First Max and then Kate. I'm actually making friends. The ideas are still here, but I'm building a safety net for myself. Let's just hope that they never have to see me fall..._


	4. The calm...

_The leaves, they fall from the trees and cover the ground. Nature is like a safety blanket. I'm surrounded by the monsters in my head, but the calm of nature cradles me . It's serene silence is a deafening war cry that keeps my inner demons away._

I retreat to nature from time to time. I used to come here so that I could think, but I eventually came here to escape the ideas. Whenever I'm here, the battle for my own mind tips in my favor. Makes me think of Nietzsche. "He who fights with monsters beware, lest he in doing so becomes one."

_But what if the monsters are inside you? Do you become you inner demons. All that aside, what if you already are the monster...?_

I feel a gentle touch on my shoulder. "Babe, what's wrong...?"

"Nothing..."

_Nothing that I can tell you about. Nothing that you can help me with. Nothing that is worth your time._

Max stops and she turns me to look at her, giving me an irritated expression. "Chloe Elizabeth Price, I may have gone away for 5 years but I still know you. I can tell when you're lying to me and I know that you are not fine." A lone tear slowly drifts down her cheek. "I love you damn it! Don't keep me in the dark. I want to help you, Chloe. But I can't do anything if you keep things from me. I open my mouth but she puts a finger on my lips, blinking another tear away. "I'll give you as much time as you need, and I won't push it. But I want you to tell me what's wrong at some point. I'll wait forever if I have to, but I want to help you..."

"Max, I..." I shake my head and kiss her.

_How did I ever find someone like you?_

"Hey! Keep that to a minimum, would ya?" Kate came out from her house and locked the door. "My parents might come home early you know."

I look over and see Kate walking over to us. "Hey, Bun Bun. We're just trying to fill the daily quota of 'disgustingly cute relationship things'. We got about 23 more to go by dinner time..."

"Oh my, that's a lot. Well you might have to agree to post pone it when my parents get back."

I sigh and roll my eyes with a smile, "fiiiine. Jeez, the things I do for friendship."  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As we walk down the hiking trail that has an entrance near Kate's house, I watch Max and Kate talk about school.

_Man, I almost wish I had stayed in school. But I forced them to boot me out for a reason..._  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
 ** _Place: Blackwell Academy_**  
 ** _Time: several years ago_**  
 ** _Location: Math class_**  
"...And that is the how you translate a Matrix."

_Uuugh. I don't care about this crap. The only numbers I care about are the ones that I dial to get my weed._

"Mrs. Price, would you come up to the board and show us how to do the next problem?"

_Well shit, how about no..._

"I don't know Mr. Smith, Can you teach a subject that doesn't make me fall asleep?"

"Chloe, it doesn't matter if you like the subject or not, you still have to do your school work. Now please just come up here and do the problem on the board."

_Welp, he'll just give me a detention if I don't. And the last thing I want is more time being stuck here._

"Okay," I walk up to the board and begin to do the problem. As I work, I can hear Mr. Smith next to me, 'hmm'-ing every now and then.

"Thank you, Chloe." I begin to go back to my seat, "While you're up here..."

_excuse me?_

"...Would you kindly do this next problem?"

_So help me this is the last one..._

"Sure Mr. Smith." I work on the next problem and when I finish I wait for his approval.

"You know Mrs. Price, I don't really appreciate your attitude towards your work..."

_And I don't like you being a dick..._

"...Maybe I might just hand out a detention..."

_And MAYBE i'm fucking sick and tired of ass hats like you trying to make me interested in something I don't care about._

"...Or of course I could just fail you and save us from wasting out time on someone like you."

_Someone like me? Well, if you put it so nicely, maybe I could slash your tires so you don't get to work and we don't have to listen to you teach. Maybe I could just burn your house down so you don't have to waste your time living among people like us. Maybe I could just break your knees so you don't have to 'waste' your precious fucking time. Maybe I could bash your fucking head against the desk until you're covered in blood, then you won't have to worry about dealing with people like me..._

"Oh kiss my ass you stupid son of a bitch..." I realize that my I've started to speak aloud and I cut myself off, trying to keep my mind from embracing the ideas.

"MISS PRICE! GO TO THE OFFICE, NOW!"  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Mr. Smith failed me and I got several detentions. None of which I attended, of course. I decided that from that day I was going to remove myself from school and save everyone from "wasting their time" on the likes of me.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
I hear Kate say my name. I open my eyes. I'm leaning against a tree and I feel lines of warmth along my cheeks. "Chloe, are you okay? We were walking along and we couldn't find you so I started backtracking..."

"I'm fine Kate. Thanks for coming back for me..." I smile and walk over to her. "Let's get back to Max before she starts freaking out too bad."

"I think you're a little late for that..." Kate chuckles."Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, what was up with my nickname?"

"Hmm?"

"You called me 'bun bun'. Where did you come up with?"

"Well, the way you act and the things you say are pretty cute. That reminds me of you lil bunny friend."

"Awweee, thank you. I take that as a compliment. Alice is a good roommate."

_I wonder what it's like to have a pet. We had one once. Poor old kitty cat died shortly after dad..._

"Kate, can I talk to you about something?"

"Well, I'm sure that you know more than me, but why not?"

"Do you...do you think that God, I don't know...Do you think he still cares about the messed up people?"

"What do you mean...?"

"I'm just thinking, if he's supposed to love us all, what about the people who are messed up in the head, and who think of terrible things. Does he still...love them?"

"I...well the bible says he loves us all. I'd assume that if someone was...'messed up in the head' then he'd still love them." Kate pauses for a moment and looks at me with a sad expression, "I'm christian, but I'm not really an expert on such things."

"It's fine. Thanks Kate. Oh," I walk in from of her and stop. "Can you do me a favor and not tell Max about our conversation? I love her and I don't want her to get alarmed about it. She worries too much about me..."

"I think it's cute how she cares about you so much. But if you don't want me to tell her then it can be our little secret. I don't see any harm in a little curiosity over faith."

"Yeah...well let's get back."  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
"Chloe, what the hell!" Max runs over and tackles me into a hug. "you have me so worried..."

"I'm sorry, baby. I'll try to stop spacing out." I start walking forward with Max still wrapped around me.

"So are the parental units home yet?" I glance at Kate and she shakes her head.

"No, but they'll be here soon."

"Hey Kate" Max mumbles into my shoulder "Would you introduce us to your parents? They don't have to know about me and Chloe here, but I want them to know who we are and that we're your friends..."

"I was going to anyways but yeah, that'd be fine." Kate cleared her throat. "Hey. Would you guys mind staying the night? I uhh... I need someone around me right now..."

"Of course, bun bun. We'll stay. I have some overnight stuff in the truck for me and Max, I'll just call my mom and let her know."

"Okay. Hey Chloe?"

"Yes Kate?"

"You two just filled your daily quota"

"Our quota?"

"For disgustingly cute things." Kate pointed to Max clinging tightly to me. "I'd say that ranks a 23 on the cute scale."

"How high does your scale go Kate?"

"20"

I nuzzle the side of Max's head. "You hear that, lover? We broke Kate's scale on the cuteness."

Max chuckles. "I think you need a special 'Max and Chloe' scale for cuteness."

We walk out of the woods and find ourselves in the backyard. Max sighs and stands on her own as we walk into the back door and take off our shoes. "Katie! We're home!" a Man's voice calls from the other room. "We got some ice cream too..." He stops at the table and puts down a bag, looking at Chloe and I. "Are these two the friends that you were inviting to that sleep over?"

I'm about to say something when Kate pipes up. "Yes dad. This is Max and this is her best friend Chloe."

_Sneaky bun bun, very sneaky...._

"It's very nice to meet you Mr.Marsh" Max looks at me, surprised at my politeness.

_Give me some credit babe, I'm not always rude. I can play nice._

"It's nice to meet you too, Chloe."

_Hey, someone who thinks that it's a good thing to meet me. That's...new. I think I could get used to that..._


	5. ...Before the storm...

"So, Chloe, what do you do?" Mr Mashed had finished their prayer, which Max and I went along with. and we are now beginning to eat.

"What do you mean, Sir?"

_I hope he doesn't judge me for quitting school. Well, getting kicked out really..._

"What do you do for a living. Do you go to school or do you work?"

_Well, time to come clean._

"I work unofficially for my mother."

"Oh, how's that?"

"Well, I eat down at the two whales all the time and as a way to work of my tab, my mother has me doing chores around the place. Taking out the trash, cleaning when it get's busy, that kinda stuff. And she does occasionally 'remember to give me my allowance'. So yeah, it's pretty nice"

"Do you go to school"

_You aren't easily satisfied, are you?_

"No. I kind of...left school a few years back." I can feel that this is either going to become very awkward or that this is going to start reveling things that I don't want out there as my first impression.

"Oh, well, that's a shame. School is pretty important these days."

"Yeah. I was thinking about going back and getting my GED so that I could try and find some better work. I love my mom's cooking, don't get me wrong. But I don't really see it as a sustainable income."

_Please laugh..._

He chuckled and nodded his head. "Well, if you ever want any help with finding a good job, I know some people who want dedicated workers"

"I am dedicated. I want to save up for my future. I do have plans."

"That is nice to hear from a younger person." He takes a bite of his food and looks at Max. "So Max, Kate had told me a lot about you. How is your photography going."

_Babe, be calm. Don't think about Jefferson and what he did.._ _._

"Well," Max cleared her throat and thought for a moment. "I'm taking a small break from photography at the moment. I think that it's appropriate in light of...recent events."

Mr.Marsh nodded and decided that he should change the subject. "So, have you girls played Mario carts yet?" Max gave me a death glare and I just shrug while Kate laughs maniacally. "Well, I'll take that to mean that you have."

I nod and sigh "Thank you for allowing us over here Mr.Marsh. This is great food."

"Well, that's a great compliment coming from the daughter of the great Two Whales chef."

We all share a good laugh and bring out dishes into the kitchen, walking up to Kate's room.

"Well guys, I...have a bit of a confession to make. Kate stops us outside out door.

"What is it, Kate?" Max reaches for her hand but the girls shakes her head.

"I..tried to hang myself yesterday..."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_When things get hard, people's natural reactions split into two categories: How do I get past this situation and How do I get out of this situation. When it comes to life, people tend to ignore suicide as an option because they have something to live for. Weather it be themselves, those they love, or someone that is depending on them, they have some kind of motivation that keeps them going. But sometimes, there is no motivation. They have no one left, or they feel like they are doing more damage than good, or maybe they just don't feel like they can take their troubles on any longer. They've fought against life, and they found it to be a losing battle. So they don't wait for the end of the game, they fold their cards and go along their way..._

"Kate...Why? Why would you do that? You have friends, and family, and people who are they for you, people that would miss you. People that love you..." I notice Kate flinch at the last part.

Kate opened her door and ushered us inside. Max and I went in and sat on the edge of her bed while she locked the door and came back, trembling.

"Max, I can't explain it..."

"What do you mean Kate? Just, let us know what's wrong. Tell us what bothered you so much..."

"Max, I can't..." Kate held her arm and looked at the floor, shaking more.

"But..." I elbowed Max in the ribs

"Don't. Just stop talking."

_I know what Kate is going through. I can see that Max, despite her good intentions, is just salting the wound. It probably took everything she had to tell us..._

I stand up and walk over to Kate, Hugging her and guiding her over to the bed, sitting her down next to Max. "Kate. I know that people will tell you they know what you're going through, but they are full of shit. But trust me when I say that I know what you're going through."

Kate shakes her head violently and pulls her knees to her chest, sobbing. "You can't get it. No one would understand.."

_This is gonna get Hella awkward, but this is the only way that I can convince Kate that I know anything about how she is feeling. Well, here it goes._

I take off my beanie, and then my hoodie, and then my pants. I stand there in my night shorts and take a deep breath while the two of them look at me with confusion.

"Chloe, what you are doing?"

_Here goes nothing..._

"Yeah, babe. What are you..?" Max stops talking when she looks at me. I am in my underwear and I know what they are staring at. I close my eyes and hug myself, looking at the ground in shame. They see the dark red scars along the tops of my thighs.

_I've had these scars for a long time, but I've never let anyone see them except Brooke and the Doctors who helped me._

"Kate," I try to keep my voice steady, but i know I'm failing, "I really know what you're going through, but only because I've gone through it too..."

I take a shuddering breath and tell them the story...

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Place: Various Party**

**Time: Several years earlier**

**Location: Bathroom**

_I had told Brooke that I wished we'd never met. But that wasn't true. She was the closest thing I'd had to a friend since Max had left. After our big fight, I was lost. I had already lost Max, and dad, and I felt like mom was leaving me in the past because of her attachment to David. I was only in pain. And I was a burden on my family. I was a useless waste of matter and I couldn't handle it. So at one of the parties, I went to the bathroom, and took a knife to the top of my thighs. It hurt but I embraced the pain. I cut and cut and cut until I couldn't anymore. I began to sob and I couldn't feel my legs. I remember that I screamed in pain and my vision started to darken as Brooke walked in and she rushed over to me. The next thing I knew I was on a hospital bed and she was sitting by my side. She had told my mother that there was an accident where I had fallen onto some knifes and spikes and that my legs had gotten all cut up._

"Chloe?"

"Brooke....why? Why couldn't you just let me finish. Then you'd be free of me. Everyone I love would be free of me..."

"Because," She holds my hand and whispers in my ear, "You don't get off that easy Price. I still care about you and I will not let go of you, you hear me? I will not let you end your life. I care about you too much..."

_Brooke sat with me in that hospital room, all day. She visited every change we had and we've stayed friends even up to the present. I'm there for her, and she's there for me. We may not have hung out in a few months, but I still talk to her on a regular basis._ _I hope that she finds someone who makes her as happy as Max makes me...And I wish the same for you Kate._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

As I stand there and drown myself in memories to kill the deafening silence, I hear Max speak and I will myself to the present.

"C-chlo..." She is standing beside me with her and on my shoulder, "are you in there?"

"Yeah...I am..."

Kate is standing in front of me, she gives me a gentle hug and whispers in my ear. "Thank you Chloe. For telling us the story and trusting us with seeing you like this. But between us three, I already have someone."

"Really? Who is it?"

_They'd better be worth her love..._

"I'll just have to show you..."

_Well now, ol' Bun Bun has a surprise for us. This could be very interesting, or very bad. I guess we'll wait and see._

"Well, thank you guys for coming over and being here with me. I think that you should grab any of the overnight stuff that you have and we should stay up and watch some YouTube. I got some notifications before you came over that you-know-who posted today..."

"Dude, let's DO IT" Max pumped her fists up in the air and started laughing. Kate joined her and I watched with some amusement.

_They are nice to be around. My ideas and thoughts go away when I'm around them. Well, for the most part that is..._

I walk out to the truck and as I close the door, I hear someone close a car door and begin walking towards me. I turn around to come face to face with Victoria Chase. "What are YOU doing here, bitch?"

She laughs softly and smiles at me. "Oh nothing, just visiting."

_This bitch, after everything that she's done to Kate, she comes here and tries to see her?!_

"Well I think that maybe you should leave"

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Because I don't think that Kate want's to see you. Now, or ever really..."

"I think she'd disagree with you..."

_And I think that maybe I should cut off hella flesh from your arms and see how fucking snarky you are then, Cunt!_

"Why in the fuck would she want to see someone like you?"

"Because she cares about me..." She sounds vulnerable but the sight of her saying that Kate cares about her sends me into a rage.

_If I had David's knife I'd fillet you like a damn fish!_

I begin to see red and I put my bag down on the hood of my car, walking over and getting in her face. "You will stay away from Kate and you will not talk to her or try to talk to her or so help me I will fuck you up so bad you'll never move again."

Victoria's face contorts with anger and she snarls back at me. "You can kiss my ass fuckhead. You've know Kate for what, one fucking day? I don't care what you think about me but I will not let you stand between me and her." She slams her palms into my chest and I fall back on my ass.

I jump up and punch her right in the eye. She falls over and tries to scramble up. Before she can get up I kick her onto her back and jump down onto her, pinning her with my legs and puncher her in the face over and over. I hit her about a dozen times and I feel my phone buzz in my pocket.

_Max..._

I stand up and pull out my phone, picking it up and answering the call. "Chlo, where are you? What's going on? It's been almost 10 minutes."

"Sorry babe, I was just looking for something I dropped on the lawn. I'll be right up."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too..."

"Congrats." I hear Victoria murmur from the ground as I put my phone away.

"On what?" I grab my bag and lock my truck.

"On getting Max. She's an amazing person."

"What would you know about Max, you're just an asshole to everyone because you feel superior."

"I know as much about Max as you know about Kate. We know what the person represents and we know a little about their personal lives, but there is a lot under the surface that we have no idea about..."

_What are you fucking talking about that way too...profound to be something for you to say._

"I'm done with this conversation. I'm going inside, and you will leave. Goodbye."

I turn around and walk into the house, closing and locking the door before heading up to the stairs.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me and Max lay on the floor sandwiched between two blankets. Kate lays on her bed with her phone in her hand and we have finished watching funny videos and we're laying down for just relaxing. I see that Kate has a smile on her face and I can feel Max cuddling me and nuzzling my shoulder.

_This, is amazing. A new friend, a loving girlfriend of my dreams, amazing..._

I hear a small tap on the window and Kate gasps, looking over and getting up. She throws her phone on the bed and opens her window, throwing down the rope fire ladder she has and stepping back. I smile and Kate leans out the window, giving a hand to someone in a hoodie. Kate pulls them in and turns around to pull up the ladder and close the window. I nudge Max and point at them. She smiles and turns around to watch. Kate turns around the the figure pulls off their hoodie, reviling that it's Victoria.

_That BITCH! I told her to get lost..._

Right before I'm about to say something, Kate walks over and grabs her cheeks, kissing her. Victoria pulls her close and they stay that way for almost a whole minute.

_Well, she was right. I didn't know as much as I thought..._

After the come up for air, Kate looks at Victoria and caresses her cheek. "What happened..?"

I feel a pain in my stomach because I know that she is about to tell Kate what I did about an hour ago. "Oh, nothing. I got back to Blackwell and I got into a fight with someone and they just didn't know where to stop."

"Babe..."

"No, it's fine. You should see the other guy." Victoria hugged Kate and Max turned around, cuddling into me again. Victoria looks over and winks at me.

_Wait. Did she just, cover for me? I wasn't expecting that. Then again, I should really stop expecting anything remotely normal to happen at this point..._

Kate comes over to me and whispers, "Could you two, turn away? for a minute or so?"

"Sure thing"

I turn around and Max takes the chance to big spoon me. "Ha. I is big spoon now" She giggles and nuzzles into my shoulder.

"Oh, enjoy it while it lasts."

_This is a surprising day, but it has been totally worth it. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings..._


	6. If I'm a Chicken, Carve me...

_I gently glide the blade across my skin, allowing myself to feel it's comforting cool as the dead skin slowly falls off. Come to think of it, the skin is just like the inside, dead, waiting to be shaven off by a cleansing blade. I look down and see it glide along with a dark grace. "It's like carving a turkey", I've always told myself. "If you do it right, you make the knife look as if it were dancing." Of course, that was when I carved the flesh. Now, I confine myself scraping the blade across my arm. Maybe one day I'll snap and I can carve myself again. I can watch as the blood flows and the sting of the cuts pulse through my muscles. After all, I'm too..."chicken", to deal with my problems the normal way...right?_

I gasp as my eyes open and I find myself in a strange room. I look over to see Victoria laying up in bed with Kate sleeping on her chest. Max is by my side, but she is also asleep. I look over and the clock tells me it is 3 am. "Nightmare?" Victoria's whisper reaches me with total clarity in the dead silence of the night.

_Wow, that wasn't normal. That was a memory, of before Max came. That was the day I decided that, after I paid Frank by blackmailing Nathan, that I would...end it all._

"umm, y-yeah. Yeah..."

"I understand about what you're going through, I've seen it before..."

"Everyone has bad dreams"

"I'm not talking about the bad dream, Chloe..."

_What? Does she...somehow know about...the thoughts that I have?_

"How do you..."

"I told you," She finally looks over at me and I can see that she's been crying. "I seen it before..."

"I didn't know..."

"No one knows about my problems."

"Yeah..."

"Do you know what I hate? People. I hate people because they judge you. They can sit back and watch you for 2 or 3, even 5 minutes and they think they know you enough to judge who you are. But the second you try to explain something about yourself they go deaf. They don't want to listen. It's like they can't listen. If I sat down with someone and asked for 30 seconds of their time to give them the slightest idea of what I go through, they would freak out and act like I told them the earth was flat. No body takes any damn time to consider that what is on the surface and what someone says or does might not be who they are. People don't understand that just because you have a dark sense of humor, that you're not automatically just some, suicidal freak who wants to kill themselves. They don't understand that there can be some kind of cause for it all beneath the surface. They don't know how to listen..."

"You have a dark sense of humor?"

"When I'm in a group of people, yes. I can have some dark jokes..."

_I never knew. She seemed like someone who would be all happy being at the top and all..._

"They just don't understand." Victoria continues and she is shaking a little. She gently rests Kate down on a pillow and she gets out of bed, throwing on sweat pants and waving for me to follow her. I do so and we make out way downstairs and out the back door. She pulls out some cigarettes and a lighter, both of us taking a cigarette and she lights them. "People don't know what I've been told. What I've been forced to hear. I've listened to my friends talk about wanting to die. I've had to listen to the way they've described killing themselves. They make it sound like a dream that they aspire to achieve. I've had to hear, from someone I loved, how they wanted to kill themselves. They gave the this picture that, if you take away the fact that they would die, it sounds like a fantasy... I had someone who's heart I broke one time, something stupid that I did, and they tried to fucking kill themselves. And after they came back from seeing a psychiatrist, they guilted me for about a while, trying to get me to be with them. I wanted to make up to them in any way that I could, but I knew that anything I did that they didn't like, they'd use my feelings against me. After a while I learned that they would always hurt themselves to get peoples attention and get what they wanted."

_I can't imagine...how do you deal with something like that..? It's not like you tried to push them there, but you still feel almost like you tied the noose, or pulled the trigger..._

"Vic, I...I'm listening."

"Thank you...It means a lot that someone is there with an open ear. I know what what happens when you have thoughts that don't feel right. Ideas that you don't want..."

"How could you tell..?"

"Because I saw what you were like when we were fighting earlier. You were trying so hard to just contain yourself. You were hiding something. It wasn't concrete, but it's something that I guessed at..."

"Umm...what kind of thoughts do you have?"

"I never had them, but someone I knew once had intrusive thoughts. They confided in me about it and explained what it's like to me to the best of their abilities. They eventually couldn't take it anymore. They didn't have someone to ground them. So, they ended it. They took one to many drinks one night and plunged a steak knife into their chest. I was devastated when it happened. But, like every other bad thing in my life, I just learned to live with it and move on and bury it all with my humor. The people around me, they think that I have issues. That I want to die. But the truth is, I make the jokes so that I can keep from letting it get to me. Everyone has their own way of coping with me, mine just happens to be dark humor. I've explained it to psychiatrists and councilors and they tell me that it's just how I cope, but that doesn't mean that making others understand is any easier. You can't 'make' someone understand something. You can only try to give them the information and hope that they listen. But they don't..."

By this time our cigarettes are mostly gone and it's starting to get a little chilly out. "You know Vic, I really hated you earlier. But now that I know some more, I have a better idea about how you are. I was wondering if we could start over. Maybe we could even be friends."

"Chloe, I forgave you after I was finished yelling at you. When you hit me I felt like I deserved it, but I didn't just cover for you as a favor. I did it because I knew that you were just trying to protect someone you care about. I respect that and I took a page from Kate's playbook. I was forgiving. I had no beef with you anyways. Why start some meaningless hate?"

_I prefer this to the Victoria I knew..._

"So, what about your social position and stuff? Doesn't that kinda rely on you being a bitch?"

"Yes it does. So that's why I'm not having anything to do with it. Kate swore me to secrecy about us, except to those who she picks to be worthy, and I will keep that promise. But we are going to be friends in the public eye. We're putting on an act by being friends, but the act is that we're hiding our relationship. It's normally the other way around with everyone else I deal with. But hey, a first time for everything, yanno?"

"Yeah. Well, I'm cold and my smoke is gone. Wanna go back in, friend?"

"Sure thing...friend."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

_I am cold. I am scared. My skin has goosebumps and they spread like wildfire. Fire. The warmth of the flame and the blanketing comfort it provides is amazing. I hold the match to my skin and watch it catch ablaze, smiling at the searing pain as I hear a scream in the background._

"..CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

_Max? What are you doing yelling at me?_

"Chloe!?"

I open my eyes to find a knife in my hand and blood on my arms. "Max, what is it?" I know very well she sees what I do, but I don't know what to say.

"You fell over while you were trying to cut something and rolled over on the knife blade. You were unconscious and I was worried..." She kissed me and I held her close, smiling at her.

"Thank you. I'm glad I have someone who cares about me so much..."

"Chloe, I love you. With all my heart. And I want you to be okay." Max's voice is muffled by her tears and she reaches down and cries into my shirt.

_Aweee baby..._

"What's going on!" I hear Mr.Marsh cry as he walks into the kitchen.

"It's okay sir, I took a tumble and I got cut on the knife I was cutting some meat with. Max here was just scared. Sorry about the commotion."

"No, no. It's fine. I have some bandages that I can use to cover that up. I'll go get them."

"Thank you" Max mumbles against my shirt.

"No worries. I don't mind helping out my daughter's friends." He begins walking to the stairs and then walks back to me and Max, leaning down and whispering in a hushed voice. "Max..."

"Yes?" I can feel Max begin to shake a little.

"Next time you admit your love to your girlfriend, check to make sure my wife or children are not present. They aren't as open minded as me."

"You mean, you're not going to chase use out of the house for corrupting your daughter?"

"No Chloe, I think that Victoria is the one corrupting my daughter, but they're dating so that one is a given. Oh wait, did you guys already know or did I just let the cat out of the bag...?"

"Oh, we knew. Just don't tell Kate's mom, I hear she isn't open minded" Max chuckles as she sits up and wipes the tears from here eyes.

_Well, I'm glad we dodged the bullet that we never knew was coming..._

"Max"

"Yeah?"

"What did you think when you found me?"

"Well, I was sneaking up on you and I actually tickled you and you slipped on some juice that you spilled, so it's my fault. You were making me food anyways, so even if I didn't make you slip it was because of me you were cooking..."

"Oh shush, it's fine. Accidents happen. Besides," I kiss her forehead and whisper in her ear, "I love you too much to be angry with you..."

"Ahem..."

"Sorry Mr.Marsh..."

"Kids, you gotta step up your game and fast. I'm not always going to be the one to walk in on you two." He shakes his head and then walks over, wiping my arm down and pulling a bottle of disinfectant out of his medical bag.

\------------------------------------------------------

After my little scare in the kitchen, Max confined me to the living room and Kate and Victoria came downstairs, sitting on the couch next to me and pulling out video game controllers.

"Mario Karts? If so, I need to join. Because I am the KING of Mario Karts"

"CHLOE! YOU ONLY WON BECAUSE YOU AND KATE TEAMED UP ON ME!"

"MAX! I'VE BEEN BEATING YOU LIKE A RED HEADED STEP CHILD AT MARIO KARTS SINCE WE WERE 10!"

"Well that's not very nice of you. I used to be best friends with a red headed girl with step parents" I raise my hand and cut off Kate.

"It's only a figure of speech Bun Bun, I used to have red hair myself. I didn't just find this amazing blue and run with it. I had a trial and error period. And I did have a step father. I mean I still do, but he's getting all dad-ish and shit."

"I think the term is dad-esk. And I think I will challenge you in Mario Karts."

"I wouldn't do that, baby. Chloe's good..."

"Don't worry Kate. I've held my own against her before..."

I cringe slightly but no one notices and Kate is too confused to put the pieces together.

_At least I hope that look is confusion. Or was that a glare. I'll just hope that was a look.._

"I will take your challenge, and raise you a match of Wii tennis."

"Deal"

_Okay. Well this is a continuation of our strange week. But hey, it's good. We're all alive..._


	7. It all comes tumbling down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (The beginning of this chapter is the last bit of the cross over from "The Parting Noose" for this part of the story. Please let me know if you liked it in the comments.)

_Nothing is ever truly complete, nothing it truly perfect. Everything comes to an end, and everything has a flaw. Ideas can be shut out, but they can resurface. Actions can be prevented, but they can never be undone. Life can always carry on, unless it meets death. The only companion you have, that always stays with you and never leaves, the one that will always hold you close and even keep the bad things away, is your pain. Pain always stays. Pain always follows. Pain always comes back to you. In the end, pain (like the darkness) always consumes you..._

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well we have to get back to Blackwell. Thanks for letting my friends say over, dad. You too, mom." Kate, with her backpack over her shoulder, walks out the door and down to Victoria's car.

"Hey Mr.Marsh, may I speak with you alone?" Victoria looks at him and he nods. They walk out into the drive and started talking, just out of earshot.

"Thank you for coming. It's nice to meet Katie's friends. Her boyfriend never comes to visit, but I hear that he's good people. Anyhow, I hope that you girls drop by again sometime. It's been nice." Kate's mom goes back inside and closes the door.

_I hope that you can just keep thinking of us as good people. If your husband is right and you and your other kids will hate us for being gay, I would be kind of sad. You're nice..._

After a few more moments, Kate's father and Victoria walk back to the group. Victoria hugs him shyly. "I'll take care of her, sir." It is only a whisper, but the meaning that she puts behind it is like the sound of a thunderstorm.

"Of course you will. I'll see you later for..yanno." He looked at us and smiled, nodding slowly. "Katie is lucky to have friends as amazing as you are. Thank you."

"It's really our pleasure Mr.Marsh. But thank you." Max fidgets with her hands, making sure that she is keeping a little distance between us.

_Wow, she's really trying to make the whole 'just good friends' thing look convincing to Kate's mom._

"I'll let you girls get back to school. Hope to see you all later!" Mr. Marsh walks inside and closes the door behind him.

"Welp, let's get this freak show on the road. Vic, you can drive Kate, Max, you can drive me."

"Alrighty there captain."

_Hehe, the pirate thing. Fun as kids, meme-y as adults. I'll never get tired of that stuff._

"Avast yee matie, don't make me order you to walk the plank." I climb in and as I close the door I hear Max mumble. "Hmm? What was that baby?"

"I said that I'd walk your plank anytime, cutie"

"Ahh, you like innuendos as well. It seems that you too are a woman of culture."

"What is it with you and memes?" Max put the truck in gear and she followed Victoria's car as they drove back to Blackwell.

_What? She doesn't like meme? of course she doesn't like memes you idiot. Memes aren't her style. You're so fucking stupid. You messed things up, like you always do. You think you're a good girlfriend? You can't even figure out how to tell a fucking joke without showing that you don't know the first damn thing about the person you care so much for. You might as well just pick that knife back up and..._

"SHUT UP!"

I hear a small gasp from beside me and I look over seeing Max, looking at me with a 'deer in the headlights' look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you...please forgive me..."

_You damn idiot, look what you've done now. You've made her cry. She thinks that you are worked up about what she said, and now she's crying because of you. This is your fault. If you were normal, this would never happen. You could just sit here with her and be what she really needs, someone whose good enough for her. You don't deserve her. You deserve nothing more than a slow, painful death and everyone's unadulterated hatred..._

"I KNOW!" I grab my head and squeeze it, rocking myself and sobbing. "SHUT UP I KNOW! I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY!"

_Why can't I keep these from freaking me out. Maybe the ideas are right, she doesn't deserve me. I should just let her move on and find someone better..._

"I'm NOT letting you do this to me! Just leave me ALONE ALREADY. I don't want you. I never wanted you! You've just been taking over my life for the last 5 years and I CAN'T GET RID OF YOU!" I can feel myself shaking, but I don't care. I need to just scream and hold Max to know that I'm still alive...

I look over and she is reaching for the door, I reach out and hold onto her arm, "Baby, where are you going...?"

"AWAY!"

"What? Why?! No, no no no, Please no!"

"If you don't want me than just tell me already! Stop playing games with me Chloe!"

I look back at her in shock and I can see that her crying has picked up. "Max...I wasn't...I did't mean you....I just...."

"Don't lie to me, Chloe. I can tell when I'm not wanted, and I know that it's now. I'll drive back to Blackwell and you'll never see me again."

_This can't be happening...I need her...She's the reason why I still get out of bed each morning. She is the whole reason why I didn't end it in the first place..._

"No, Max. Listen to me. You're misunderstanding what's happening..."

"I'm not stupid Chloe. You don't want me around and I have no interest in mind games."

"LISTEN TO ME!" Max shrinks away from me and I can feel her shaking as well. "This is all falling apart, I never wanted it to happen like this..."

"What, What are you babbling about Chloe? If you're gonna dump me just fucking do it..."

"Max, look at me." She looks away and I move next to her, turning her shoulders to look at me. She slowly looks at me. "You are the reason I'm alive, Max. You are the person I love and I would never think of trying to remove you from me life in any way..."

"Then what was all that commotion about...?" I can tell that Max has calmed down enough to try and put the pieces together.

"I...I have some problems." I look around and I see that she's pulled over on an abandoned rest stop about half way to Blackwell. "Please, I need you to understand that I love you with all my heart. I need to tell you part of it now, but I can only talk about it a bit at a time, it's a lot to explain and I barely have a handle on it..."

Max slowly nods and looks down at my hand on her arm. I let go and look down and sob quietly. She reaches over and caresses my cheek, I lock my door and lean against it. Max crawls into my lap and slowly lays her head on my chest.

"I have...ideas. I have these thoughts that work their way into my head and they just, hurt...you've found me staring at knives or fire and I space out. Sometimes the thoughts are just about how beautiful something is or how lucky I am, but other times, my mind is going places I don't want it to. I think of using that knife on me, or feeling that fire burn my skin. I think about hurting other. They're called intrusive thoughts. They're a symptom that goes along with different mental disorders..." Max lays very still and I begin to shake. "When I yelled 'shut up' it was because my mind was giving me the third degree over the meme joke. Then it morphed into me being a crappy girlfriend and I figured that I wasn't good enough for you. As I kept yelling, I was getting the idea that I should just...die. Then you could go on with you life and be happy with someone who really deserves you..." The silence continued and I felt tears begin to flow down my face. "Damn it, Max. You're the reason why I get up in the morning. You saved me..."

"I know that Chloe...I moved time itself to save you. I know this..."

"I'm not talking about that"

"Than what then? How did I 'save you' ?" Her voice was empty and there was no trace of love in her question.

_She doesn't care...I'm losing her. The reason I want to keep going doesn't want me anymore..._

"I was going to kill myself that day." Max shifted to look at me, fear in her eyes. I nodded slowly and she reached for my hand. I took it and our fingers intertwined. "I was black mailing Nathan because I wanted to pay off Frank. I wanted to die. I couldn't take the ideas anymore. I was dead inside and I already failed at killing myself before. I didn't want to keep going as things were. I lost you, dad, my cat, my friends, it felt like I'd lost my own mother...I was alone. Even in a room full of people I was alone and nothing could make me happy. Booze only goes so far and then it wears off or you pass out. You can only be high for so long. I was sick and fucking tired with waking up every morning, knowing that I would get into an argument with someone and imagine myself beating them senseless. I couldn't handle that. I wanted out. So I was going to get the money, pay off my old friend, take David's knife, and go out to the lighthouse. Then everyone I loved could move on without a fucked up burden like me. Always acting out, always trying to do some wild and crazy thing that would maybe numb the pain for a good 3 seconds..." I stop and begin to sob and shake. "Y-you're t-too good for me, Max."

I close my eyes and reach for the glove box. It pops open and I reach in, grabbing a small revolver inside. "Drive away from here Maxine. I can't live another moment in this world without you and I don't intend to ever find out if I can ever bear seeing you again without a hug or kiss from you. You control my heart and I can never live again, not without you. So leave me on this roadside Max. I'll never bother you or anyone else I love, ever again..."

I feel a small set of hands over mine. I open my eyes and see Max crying silently. She pulls the gun from my hand and puts it in the glove box, slamming it shut and kissing me with a wild passion that I've never felt before. I can feel that we are both shaking, but we are both still there, alive and well. Max pulls back from the kiss and looks into my eyes. "Chloe Elizabeth Price, you will die before me, but it will be decades and decades from now. I will never leave you in a world without me, but I will not let you die by anyone's hand. I don't care if I have to take the knife out of your hand or if I have to fight someone with a gun or even if I have to help you fight your inner demons, I am never leaving."

"Thank you. But, why? why all that for me?"

"Because, if you hadn't noticed yet, I love you."

"I love you too Max." I hug her tight and sob into her shoulder. After a few minutes, I wipe my eyes and kiss her forehead. "Let's catch up before anyone starts to worry about us. I don't want poor little Kate to send out a search party...again."

"Yeah. Is there anything more to this? You said it'll have to be bits at a time that you explain things to me..."

"Well, I gave you both the basic and the general explanations. I'll have to relate things to you as they happen sometime."

_This is going to be hard..._

Max Smiles at me and sits in the driver seat, buckling back up and I do the same. She starts the truck and she reaches out, holding my hand and squeezing it firmly. "I will be there with you every step of the way, baby. You are my world too. I can't say that I've been in the same situation as you, but I've had...self harm pass through my mind. I know what it's like to miss everyone that matters. And I will never put you through that."

"Thank you, Max."

"The honor is mine, Chloe. Besides," Max pulls back onto the road and starts driving, still holing my hand with one of hers. "I got the daughter of an amazing cook. Joyce will probably give me a family discount." I look over at her and she chuckles. I smile back and nod.

_This will be hard, but the hardest part is over..._


	8. Explinations

I open my eyes and look at Max, laying next to me on her bed. The dorm room is quiet and calm. After we had arrived at the dorm room and we closed the Door, Max and I both took off our shoes and coats, laying down on the bed and cuddling. A few minutes ago, she rolled over and began just staring at me. Now I lay here and her legs are intertwined with mine and I stare into her beautiful eyes, thinking about what happened earlier.

_I totally lost my cool. I have never lost it before. I don't think that I can deal with that again. It didn't affect me to this level until it came to Max being in on it. Once she entered the equation, I couldn't handle what the ideas had to say. I will definitely need her help with this..._

"Chloe?" Max poked my shoulder and spoke in a whisper.

"Yes baby? What's wrong?"

_She sounds like she's halfway between sad and curious._

"Have you...have your ideas ever been about, me?"

"What context do you mean?"

"Like, have you ever wanted to hurt me...?"

"It's not what I want Max, the ideas come to me and I don't want them, but they are there and I have the...urge to follow through, But I still don't want it. But there was only one occasion where I ever had an idea against you..."

"What was it?"

"Yesterday when you were going to introduce us to Kate, right before I pulled you aside I was thinking that you were only going to hurt and alienate me, just as I was starting to make friends. I was angry and an Idea popped into my head of me yelling at you and telling you that you already ruined my life and abandoned me and that you shouldn't take away my only new friendship. I pushed it away as best I could and it completely left pretty quickly..."

Max looks at me and nods, thinking for a moment. "Are you going to tell me if another one of these thoughts comes to you."

_Of course I won't. I can't handle telling her my problems. My problems are fucking nothing. A waste of time. Just like I'm a waste of space..._

"Yes. I kinda just had one."

"What was it." I look at her for a moment "I can handle it Chloe. I'm right here, and I love you. There is nothing that needs to be held back between us..."

_You say that now...try to say it again after you hear some of the things that come into my head against even my own will. Things that I find revolting..._

"I thought that I wouldn't tell you and that all my problems, like me, are meaningless..."

She shakes her head and looks at me, caressing my cheek. "Chloe, you are not meaningless. You mean something to me, and your mom, David, Now you are friends with Kate and it seems that you even get along with Victoria. You touch people's lives and you mean so much. I know that I would be helpless without you."

I nod and hold her waist, pulling her closer. "Max, earlier when we were on the side of the road and you were going to leave, what would you have done if I hadn't stopped you...?"

"Well, I was going to walk down to walk outside and cry for a little, then I was going to get back in, drive to Blackwell, and then stay there. I would have come back to you in a matter of days. I would probably cut class and taken Warren's keys. I would have come over to your place and I would have knocked on your door. I would have cried and pleaded and begged for you to take me back."

"All that, for me...?"

"I love you, Chloe. If you wanted me out of your life i would try it, but I know very well that I wouldn't last long. When you got the gun from the glove box, were you really going to...go through with it...?

"The only reason I haven't tried recently is because I was going to square things away with Frank and then the insanity happened. Because you were back with me again, the thought didn't cross my mind. The second I saw you again (even though I acted mad at first) I was overjoyed to see you. I had purpose again, my living had meaning. I was here for you. And when we got together, I couldn't bear to be without you in my life. If I had to, I could let you go for the school day. But after your classes are done I'd be right there with you again. I'd wait in the parking lot or go hang out in another dorm until you got back."

"How are you so sure that you could find another place to say?"

"Well, I could ask Warren if I could play his video games and I could ask Kate if I could keep bun bun junior company." I think for a minute and then nod to myself. "I could also talk to Frank and see if I could hang out with him. Hey, I haven't talked to him since things went down. I mean, it's only Sunday, but it feels like last Monday happened years ago..."

"Yeah, I know the feeling Chlo. Hey, would you want me to come with, when you go talk to Frank that is...?"

"Why of course. I don't really think that I would want to go there alone. He is someone who I used to be friends with, but we had a sour business relationship towards the end there..."

"Okay. I'll come with. Hey, guess what." I look at her and raise an eyebrow. "I love you..."

"I love you too Max. I will always love you..."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

The weeks goes by quickly. Max goes back to Classes and, as I told her I would, I stay busy, but I am there waiting for her when she gets out of classes. we spend our days cuddling and kissing, telling each other how much we love the other and catching up on what happened for the last 5 years between us parting and reuniting. I had drifted around the bay and I did everything that I could to drown the pain. Max had moved to Seattle and she had started school there. She was miserable all of the time and she wished that she was still around me. She was too shy to talk to me and eventually she'd just given up hope on me caring about her anymore. She had tried dating some people in Seattle, but she was just so miserable that it didn't work out. She didn't care enough to do anything meaningful with them. She was too busy missing me.

She had a friend named Edward and one who everyone called Bella. They usually stuck to themselves and they only talked to her out of kindness. It was nice though, to have someone to say was your "friend". After a while Max had just shut herself off from the world and lived in isolation. She eventually went to Blackwell when she had the chance and that's when she started to live again. As for me, the moment I saw her in the parking lot was when I decided that I was going to keep living again.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

It's finally Friday afternoon and I am waiting for Max to walk out from her final class. "Hey Chloe, can we talk?" I turn around and feel my stomach drop when I see David/

_Oh boy. This can't be good. I haven't been home for almost a full week and I've been sneakily breaking the rules of David's work place. He can't be too pleased..._

"Sure thing. Let's talk." I follow David from the statue that is out front, over to the side of the building, facing the parking lot. "Hey, sorry for being gone so long..."

David holds up his hands and shakes his head. "I'm not worried about that. You're a grown woman and you can make up your own mind. I just wanted to ask you a question."

"Well okay, shoot." I see David cringe at my word choice and I can feel myself have the same reaction.

"Are you happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Max. Does she make you happy?"

"David Max is..."

"Max is your girlfriend Chloe. Don't take me to be a fool because I'm not. I may be a little in the dark sometimes and I make bad decisions, but I can tell that you guys have something more than just friendship." his voice comes out in a hushed whisper.

"Well then. First Kate's dad and then you. This is either the worst kept secret in the bay or you are all way smarter than I thought."

"First or all, thank you for calling me smart. Second of all, I live in your house and you've just spent the last week away from home. ALSO, you can't forget the fact that Max asked Joyce for 'Permission to pursue a relationship with your daughter' as she said it."

_Well, I guess chivalry is not dead. But all hope of returning home without a million questions is dead as hell._

"To answer your question David, she makes me as happy as I could possibly be. Umm..."

_Dumbass, don't bring this up. You know he'll just hate you again..._

_**oh bite me mind, I have to do it sometime** _

"David, I know that we haven't been on the best of terms in the last several years, but I'm beginning to see you for who you are. And I am sorry for what I did, but I took something of yours..."

"What did you take Chloe."

_He doesn't sound  upset, just, worried. Is it over me?_

"Your knife."

"What were you going to do with it?"

"David, I've had many hardships. I lost my father, my Cat, my best friend, and all in a small amount of time. I had gone on for 5 years. I was calling it quits and cashing in my chips early. The reason why I was in the bathroom with Nathan last Monday was because I was blackmailing him. He drugged me and tried to...have his own way. But I beat him up and left when I came to. I was going to pay off my old weed dealer before I...left. But one thing lead to another and Nathan tried to Shoot me. And Max saved me. She saved me from him and Jefferson, but most of all myself. She game me reason to live David. I was at the end of my rope and about to tie it around my neck when Max showed up. I thought she left me in my darkest hour, but she really returned in my darkest hour. Just in the nick of time..."

I look down as I speak and I feel David's hand on my shoulder. "I'm here if you need to talk. I know that you are probably going to go to Max or Kate or probably even the grave of George Washington before you talk to me, but I'm available if you ever decided to talk."

I slowly move closer and hug him. "Thanks David. I'll stop by and talk to you at some point. Me and Max will probably be staying back at the house instead of here this weekend. I should at least give mom the opportunity to grill me about not telling her sooner."

He chuckles and nods. "Well I'll try to butter her up tonight so she'll go easy on you."

"Thank man"

"No problem. Hey, you should get back to the fountain. Max is almost out."

"Will do. Thanks David. See you around" He nods and tips his hat, walking around the back of the building. I jog back to the fountain and watch Max walk out the door just as I sit down on the edge of the fountain. She waves at me and rushes over.

"HEY!" She hugs me and takes a breath. Nice to see you around. I think that we should hangout today. What do you think?"

"Oh, I don't know I got a full schedule. I have to be by the side of this amazing cutie from now until forever."

"Oh how I would like to have someone like that" Max chuckles as we walk to my truck. We jump inside and close the doors.

"Luckily, you do my dear." I drive out of the parking lot and down the road a ways, finally pulling over and kissing her.

"Mmm. Chloe flavored, my favorite."

"Well. you have unlimited access to the only manufacturer in this reality."

She giggles and nods, kissing my cheek and then my neck. "All mine..."

"Hehe..."

"You know, I hate school. It's eight hours of sitting there, listening to people talk. I miss out adventures. The crazy ones, the happy ones." She pauses and kisses my neck again/ "the fun ones..."

"Well, we can go on one of those soon. As for now, we should get headed to the beach. Frank liked to drink himself to sleep at night so we should get their early..."

"Okay. As you wish." She lean in and whispers into my ear, "Just make sure to remember where we left off..."

I buckle myself in and drive off towards the beach. "Oh how could I possibly forget...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter on the books. Now, before anyone asks, yes I intentionally named Max's Seattle friends after the characters from "Twilight". Is it a tie in. NO! I will not tie that fandom into this work. This is fluff, but it is in a series that covers serious topics. I just put it in there as an Easter Egg. After I put the names down I remembered that "Twilight" actually took place in Washington state and I just figured that I'd leave it there. Please don't get upset even if you are not a fan of the "Twilight" series and I hope that you can at least enjoy the story. I have no intention of putting in them as more than exposition. They're only mentioned to fill in a few gaps. Anyways, I hope that this chapter was fulfilling of your expectations and I can't wait to continue this story with you. I would also like to mention that I am writing this story (unlike "The Arcadian Mob") As I come up with ideas, so I may focus on other works while I brainstorm this from time to time.  
> Anyhow, I hope you HELLA liked this, have fun and read on.


	9. Rekindling old friendships

_I am still running, I am always and forever running. Even when I stand still, my legs are still running. My head never rests and my mind forever battles. I can feel weak, but I can never be weak. I can fight with a fiery passion, but I can never truly fight it off, I can only buy myself more time. With support I can keep up the fight until the end, but my power is not infinite. I may one day slip in the fight, but it may only take one slip to fall to my doom. I am running, running into the rabbit hole. I can only hope that on the other end there is something besides the battle, because I can only fight so many battles at a time before I begin to crumble. I may not be atlas, but I feel his burden upon my shoulders when ever my mind has a moment of rest..._

I sigh bitterly as I start the truck and buckle my self in, waiting for Max as she returns to her dorm to put away her things.

_My own mind lurks like a predator, lurking in that shadows, waiting for a moment of vulnerability. This is what I cannot fight, but I have to, for her. She is my new battle cry, she is my reason to do what I do. She is my armor, she is my reason..._

I shake my head and take out my CD's, putting in some music.

_My mind is starting to go in circles and get redundant. I need to just stop thinking. Time for my dose of musical medicine..._

As the guitar riffs of "Avenged Sevenfold" begin to flow from my speakers, I crank up the volume until it is deafeningly loud. I feel my mind begin to concentrate on the theme as the lyrics rip through my mind and I feel my heart begin to pump harder. My ears ache from the volume but my body doesn't care enough to turn it down.

**Watch your tongue or have it cut from your head!**

_"ahh, there's the rub"...Good old shake spear. I should make that a thing, rock and shake spear..._

The slow nodding of my head turns into a hard rocking that follows the rhythm of the song while it reaches the chaos.

**Hail to the King!**

  
I see Max begin walking across the camps in my rear view mirror.

**Hail to the one!**

I keep rocking and I slowly claw at my arms

_When she gets here, the music will have to stop and the ideas will flow like water, seeping into the pours of my brain and tainting my thoughts..._

**_Kneel to the crown!_ **

Max opens the door and cringes at the volume, quickly jumping in and buckling up. I can see that she feel uncomfortable with the music but I close my eyes hard and will myself to turn it off. I put on my mask, the fake face of happiness that I keep for when I need to be around others. I look over at her and she looks into my eyes. I feel my mask fall away and become replaced by the true, new found happiness that she brings me.

_How could I forget what she does to me. This amazing feeling that I get when she's around. She looks at me and I'm just absorbed into her gaze. She holds me and I feel safe. She merely holds my hand and I feel stronger..._

"How do you do it.." Max looks at me with a curious look as the whisper leaves my mouth. "You make it better. You make me, whole. You give me a sense of security and happiness that evades me normally. When I'm around you I can't help but be happy. You make the world shine when it's normally a wasteland of hate and hurt. You..." I smile and reach out my hand for her to take. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."

Max chuckles and moves closer to me. "I'm glad that I can help. I wish that I could do more, but I don't know what I can do..."

"Baby," I take her hand and hold it to my chest, right over my heart. "You make all the difference baby. You are my world and your mere presence is healing..."

"I don't know what I ever did to get this from you..."

"You didn't just get it from me, you earned it. You are an amazing person whom I love dearly..."

_I can't get enough of you baby. Please, never leave me..._

"You honor me with so much meaning, I hope that I can live up to it. But, I think that we should get going if we are going to catch up with Frank."

"Yeah your right." I kiss her one last time and I buckle up, putting the truck into gear and driving down the road.

\-----------------------------------------

When we arrive on the beach, it is starting to dim and I can see a small fire glowing from the other side of Frank's camper. I hold Max's hand as we walk around and see Frank, Pompadour in the sand next to him while he nurses a beer on his lawn chair. "Why, hello Franklin. It has been quite a spell since I have made your acquaintance." He chuckles and nods to the chairs next to him.

"I was thinking that someone would eventually come to see me. I just never expected it to be you two. So, how's it going? I hear that you helped bust Jefferson..."

I can feel Max stiffen up and I gently pull her close to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. I nod slowly and rest my head on her shoulder. "Yeah, that was us. We'd rather forget that little detail at the moment..."

"I understand" Frank took a long sip of his beer and sighed. "I'd rather like to forget  _who_ supplied them, too..."

"Frank, it's not your fault what they did. That is something that no one holds blame for but them. You're just making a living here, they're the bad ones. I know that is something that is hard to hear. I know what it's like to feel responsible for everything that goes wrong in your life, but you have to let the people close to you and time heal you. But Rome wasn't built in a day, let's just keep things chill for now."

"Sounds good to me. You guys want some hot dogs or marshmallows? I got some in the camper. Cause, you know, it's called a 'camper' " Frank got up and stretched.

"We get it frank, you like small white balls and long brown hunks of meat. Let's just get to the fun part..." Max snarks at him. He glares at her for a moment and I can see the annoyance bleed away from his eyes as he sees her smile. He chuckles and shakes his head, walking into the camper and coming out in a moment with the goods and sets them down on a table next to the chairs. They all get some metal pokers and hold their foods of choice over the fire and watch as they cook.

"So, Max." Max looks over to Frank and nods. "You and Chloe make a nice couple."

I cackle and Max looks at me with alarm. "Was it that obvious?"

I pull myself together as best I ca. "Baby, I held you. Not hugged, held. Plus, whenever I do that, you get the cutest look on your face."

Max nods in defeat and looks back to Frank. "Thank you Frank. I was hoping that it wouldn't be that obvious. I don't want to cause any more trouble for ourselves than I have to. We do live in the middle of a pretty conservative place after all. I mean, there are lots of open minded people, but I still don't want to press my luck."

Frank shakes his head and points at me with his beer bottle. "I'm surprised that this one hasn't started screaming from the roof tops."

_Excuse me Frank, but I can be subtle at times, I just choose not to. Oh who am I kidding...?_

"Well, the punk princess over here hasn't started yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I saw a megaphone in truck one of these days."

"Punk princess?"

"Well, you do have a pretty punk style and you are really cute and I thought that you might be able to appreciate the title. I mean you can be a 'royal' pain in the backside, but I still love you." Max chuckles nervously and I shake my head. She blushes and shrinks back into her chair, pulling her knees up and mumbling, "Well I thought it was nice." She then whispers an even quieter "Sorry."

I kiss her forehead and rest mine against the side of her head. "It's okay, love. I like it. I'm just giving you a hard time."

She nods shyly and I close my eyes. We stay there for a moment until I hear Frank clear his throat and tell Pompadour to go inside. I hear him open and close the camper door and sit back down. I stand up and Max does the same. I sit down in her chair and move mine so that I can put my feet up in it. Max slowly sits in my lap and curls up into a ball.

_I love the pressure whenever someone sits in my lap. Their weight is just comforting. You can feel that someone is there._

I cuddle her close and smile, looking over to Frank and seeing that he's smiling as well. I look watch as the sun slowly moves down the horizon. "You know Chloe, I was always wondering about something."

"Yeah? What's that Frank?"

"If or when you were ever going to pay me." I feel my blood run cold and suddenly the sun's glow shifts from a brilliant orange to blood red. "I was never going to force you to pay me. But I've always curious if you were going to pay me or if that was just going to be a friendship thing between the two of us."

"Frank, I did intend to pay you. Last Monday, I blackmailed Nathan. He tried to...Do things, after he drugged me." I can see Frank look down and I see the tear glisten as it flows from his eye. "But he brought a gun. And, things went down." Frank nods and I take a deep, shuddering breath.

_I am going to tell someone. Someone besides Max, the person who I trust with my life, literally..._

"Frank..."

"What...?" His voice has an edge to it, but I can hear that it is filled with pain and regret.

"My paying you back was going to be a goodbye present."

"A goodbye present? What do you mean by that?"

"I was tired Frank. I was really tired." I look at him and he looks back, wiping his eyes and raising his eyebrow. "I needed a break. A break from everything." Frank nodded slowly, "A permanent break Frank..." and then his face fills with recognition of the meaning behind my words. I see his lip quiver slightly and he closes his eyes tight, tears leaking out of the sides.

"You know I'm here for you, right? I know that we had some business issues and I wasn't always the best person to be around, but I've always considered you to be my friend. And friends have to help each other. It's how we get through, it's how we keep going. So I'm here for you Chloe." He sniffles and clears his throat, shifting himself to look into the fire. "I'm here for you too, Max. I know that you probably have better people to go to, but I'm always here for you two to come to. I'd rather one of you knocked on my door than I find myself at your funeral..."

"Thank you Frank. I'll keep you in mind. Really, I will."

"That's all I ask."

\------------------------------------

After a few hours of catching up on what our lives had been like and what our current situation was (of course leaving out the part about Kate and Victoria being together) We decided that we should all get together at some point this weekend to have a cookout. I hold Max's hand a we walk back to the truck. "Hey, love?"

"Yeah, Chlo?"

"Do you think that we can stop by someone else's place tomorrow? I have someone that I want you to meet up with. They're an important part of my past and it just seems right that you are in on things."

"I am all yours from the second I left school to whenever you push me back to class. I'd skip if you asked me to really. I'm putty in your hands..."

_Hmm. That's very honest. And kind of dangerous to admit to someone. But I won't abuse that privilege. I care about her too much to do that to her..._

"You may be the putty, but the artist is nothing without their work. And you, Mrs. Caufield, are my Magnum Opus."

"What thank you, Mrs. Price. I am quite honored to be in such amazing hands."

I wrap my arms around her and lean back against the door of the truck, pulling her to me by her waist and kissing her lovingly. "Can we go home and cuddle each other to sleep?"

"Please....I need to feel your arms around me. You are like a blanket Chloe. You wrap around me and I feel safe. I get a warm feeling inside. I even feel at home, for the first time in an eternity."

"Well, in that case." I kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear, "I will never let you go for long, my love. Not in this life. Maybe in the next one, we will never have to be apart from each other for a second."

"I never knew you were religious."

"I've always believed in a great power, Max. I just never put any kinds of labels on it."

"Well, I'm glad that you have something to comfort you."

"But I do, it's called you..."

I kiss her one last time and hoist her up into the cab, jumping in myself and turning the key, driving to Blackwell to spend the night with the person I love.


	10. Rough waters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that is quoted is "All over me" From the movie "Loving Annabelle"

I feel the cold wind wiping against my face, the rain stings. I smile as I embrace it and close my eyes, listening to the harshness of the storm. I open my eyes and walk to the edge, taking David's knife. I hold it at arms length and take a shuddering breath.

"I'm sorry Dad. I didn't want to go like this, but I can't stay here anymore." I close my eyes. "I'm sorry Mom. You deserved better than this." I begin to shake. "I'm so sorry Max. I never let you know what you mean to me, and now you're gone forever. I've waited for you, holding out hope that you'd come back. I know now that you've moved on. I...I just can't do this anymore..." I feel the pressure on my stomach and I fall back, sobbing as I feel my heart beat faster and I can see through my teared up eyes, an arm pressing down on me holding the knife. I throw my weight at it and scream and I try to sit up.

\-----------------------------------------------------------

I hear a thud and I wipe the tears from my eyes. I look over and see Max holding her head and curling up on the floor. I scramble up and kneel next to her. "C-chloe...W-what did I do?"

"Nothing baby. You didn't do anything. I was just having a nightmare. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I kiss her head and help her back onto my bed. She lays down and tugs on my sleeve.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

_Of course she's concerned with me..._

"I'm fine baby. I was just thinking about the storm and the lighthouse."

"Does it scare you too?"

"In a way..." I lay next to her and look into her eyes, pulling her closer to me.

_I think she'll want to know, but I don't know if I have the heart to tell her._

"What was your dream about?" I take a deep breath and place my hand on her cheek, closing my eyes and placing my forehead against hers. "You don't have to tell me..."

I place a finger against her lips and smile, a few tears slipping from my eye lid, "I want to tell you. Need to really. Just so that someone knows. I was thinking about the storm, but it was layered on top of what I was going to do at the light house. That day that I went to get money from Nathan was the day that I was going to get the Money to Frank, and then that evening was going to be when I went to the cliff. You obviously saved me, which defeated the purpose of dying. Half the reason I wanted to go is because I felt like I would never see you again and I felt as if I were alone. I had no one left in my world. I was sorry about doing it. I was going to apologize to Dad, and mom, and you. You most of all. I knew that I was never going to see you, but I knew that you were the most important person in my life and I couldn't handle living without you. We have a dependence you see, I depend on you for giving me a will to breath..."

Max gently caresses my shoulder, moving closer to me and our legs intertwine. I feel the blanket pulled up and she kisses my bare shoulder. "and I depend on you for love and safety. You are the only person who can make me feel safe. You are the only person that I can go to when it comes to many of the issues I have. Most people would throw me in the nut house if they heard me and the only people who would really listen should be or already are in said nut house. But I do rely on you a lot Chlo. And you are my home now. I can travel away for a little while, but after a day of school, I can't really focus because I am home sick. Just your presence can make any situation feel a thousand times safer."

"Thank you, love." I feel the tears flowing freely now, my arms circling around her shoulders as she holds my waist. I feel her tilt my head gently and I go along with it, feeling her kiss me. She gently bites my lower lip and I sigh in contentment, breathing through my nose. She moves her hand along my side and finds some skin, drawing patterns along my back.

She pulls away gently, looking at me when I open my eyes, a loving look on her face. "I find it interesting, that we have a dynamic relationship."

I smile slowly and kiss her cheek. "What exactly do you mean by that Max?"

"Well, you're not always the person in charge. And when you do break down and I comfort you, I kind of slip into the more 'dominant' role. I can see that sometimes we swap between who is the person who does the aggressive affection. For example, normally you get to do this..." She tilts my head back and places her hand in my hair, grabbing a hand full and pulling it back, biting my neck and sucking on it gently. I can feel myself blush and as my face gets hotter, I can feel her bite a little harder. I dig my fingers in under her shoulder blades and slowly claw her back. She lets go of my hair and rolls herself so she is over me. She leans down and whispers into my ear. "I like when things get switched up some. Your reactions are, quite pleasing to see..." She gently presses her finger into the center of my throat and traces it down to my waist line and back again. I open my mouth to say something and she leans in, talking into my lips as she closes in "Shut up and kiss me." I nod feverously and our lips connect.

 _Whoa_ _, I think I might like this too..._

She bites my lower lip and slowly pulls it away, nibbling on it and then letting it go. She does this several times before she speaks to me again. She smiles at me and shakes her head "Is someone enjoying themselves?" I see her eyebrows move up and I finally notice that my nail are dug into her and it looks like she got attacked by an army of cats.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to..." I look her up and down, finally noticing how close we are. I can see the goosebumps on my skin as well as hers. I can see the little scrape on the side of her forehead where she fell to the floor. I feel her warm breath against my skin, feeling it warm my throat. I look her entire body over and I see her knees are shaking. I reach over and run my hand along the outside of her calf. "What's the matter, baby?" I can feel her leg shake more and I see in her eyes that it's something more than having to hold herself above me. I begin to move my hand away, but she holds it in place.

"You're giving me that look." She closes her eyes and I begin to worry.

_"That look"...what look am I giving her. Am I scaring her? Did I cross a line? What did I do? I'm scared here. What is she talking..._

"That look that makes me melt" She closes her eyes and moves herself down to rest on top of me. "It makes me into putty that is yours and yours alone to shape..."

I can feel her arms move from around my waist to my neck and she looks up at me. She looks vulnerable. I feel as though I could look at her the wrong way and she would shatter.

_I really get what she means by this whole role reversal thing._

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes"

"How much do you trust me"

Max takes my hand and places it over her heart. I feel the strong, fast beat and I gasp under my breath. She takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes. I can feel myself begin to get lost in hers and I am surrounded by her words. "I am bound to you like you are to me. I am totally yours Chloe. I trust you with everything."

_I've never had this affect on someone before. This is different. Almost scary, but I can't really nail down what it feels like..._

"Hold onto me..." She wraps her arms around me neck and I gently roll us over so I'm above her. I look down and she is looking me over. I smile at her and she blushes. "I really just melt you, don't I?" She nods slowly and bites her lip. I move to her neck and she automatically moves her head to the side. I kiss her neck and she moans quietly into my ear.

"Chloe..."

"Yes?" I take a few breaths and go back to her neck.

"mmm..Can I...heh...can we do something new...?"

"Oh? Like what?"

"Well, you know. The  _thing_...."

_Hmm, does she mean...Oh...OH!_

"You could have just said 'me'. But then again, it's more fun to see you try to beat around the bush" Max blushes a deep red and glaces off to the side. "Are you okay, love?"

"Yeah. Can I turn on a little music? I have some nerves..."

"Of course love. You can do whatever you want."

Max chuckles a little as she turns on her Ipod which is hooked to a speaker.

**In the space between what's wrong and right, you'll find me waiting for you...**

_Hmm, the love song from a lesbian movie. I call that good timing..._

Max looks up at me and I take her hand, kissing the back of it and smiling at her.

**All your fortresses go down in the night**

_I guess she is my night..._

**to the dawn I'll see you though.**

_I will see you through every dawn I can for the rest of our lives..._

**Cause I know, that you know, you're all over me now.**

She looks at me and sighs slowly. "I'm wrapped around your finger..."

"And my heart is in your hands."

**...and if your heart is cold, my sheets are warm. I will shelter you all through the storm.**

_Heh... fitting._

"I love you, Chloe."

"I love you too, Max."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few hours later, we lay in each others arms. For the past 20 minutes or so, we've only kisses each other and said a few "I love you"'s. I look into her eyes and they are full of love and admiration. I lick my lips and we smile at each other.

_How did I ever deserve this. I have a beautiful woman to wake up to every morning and we are hopelessly and deeply in love with each other...I couldn't leave her if I wanted to._

"Max. Are you okay?"

"No"

"W-what? What's wrong? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry! I didn't..." She kisses me and places her hand on my cheek.

"I'm not okay, I'm perfect." I sigh and shake my head, smiling again. "My life is perfect right now. I never thought this life could be real..."

"If this is a dream, May I never wake again. If this is real, may I never sleep again."

"Either this is a dream, or you are too cheesy to be the real deal."

"I'm the real deal, and this is real." I kiss her and she smiles into the kiss. "Does that feel real?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." I boop her nose and think for a moment. "Do you want to go to the store today? We could just go out for the day."

"Chloe Price, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Why, I think I am."

"Well, how could I say no. I am after all..." She leans in close and nibbles on my earlobe. "...wrapped around your finger." I look over at the clock and see that it reads 7:30 AM.

_Well, the world can wait a few more hours for us to arrive..._

\------------------------------------------------------------

 As we walk down the isle of a gift shop in the mall, I look over at Max on the other side of the isle. She's looking at some different art supplies for Kate. I can see that she is thinking hard and I can't help but smile.

_She's so cute in general, but add on that she's trying to help her friend and she's putting so much thought into this, it gets even cuter._

"Hey, cutie. What are  _you_ doing here?"

"H-hi Steve."

_Well well, looks like we got a jack ass over here. I wonder how I'll address this..._

"Hey ya Max. So, you change your mind about going with me to the Halloween dance?"

"No Steve, I'm going by myself. Can you not ask me again...? Please..."

"Fuck you, Bitch. I'll ask you how ever many times I damn well please. How about I beat a little sense into you"

I can feel the smile fade from my face and my stomach fills with a burning, seething anger. "Back off"

_I will hurt this guy if he doesn't back off._

"Look here ya little punk, this is none of your buisness..."

"Oh that's where you're wrong buddy, this is all my buisness"

"Oh, you know her boyfriend?"

"No, but I'm her girlfriend. And if you so much as talk to her again..."

_If I say what I want to this dumb prick I am going at least to jail, probably to a nut house. stay calm. stay calm. stay calm. fuck..._

"...I will kick your dumb ass into that wall, until there is noting left to kick. But hey, you're just a massive ass anyways. So that won't be a problem for a while." I feel my fists turning white and I see that Max looks scared.

_I will not let someone mess with her. What good am I if I can't scare off some prick in the store. Even if he beats me senseless, I need to do this. I need to keep her safe..._

"I would like to see you try. How about I teach you a lesson..." He walks towards me and swings he fist square at my face. I dodge just in time and I grab his wrist as it moves by, squeezing the pressure point and using his momentum to throw him to the ground. While he's there I decided to send my message across again.

I grit my teeth and move his arm so I can get a clear kick to his chest. "stay" I kick "Away" I kick harder "From my GIRLFRIEND" I kick him as hard as i can and I let go, watching him drop onto the floor. He is gasping for air and I start to move in for more.

_I'm going to slam his head off the floor. I'm going to stand on his throat and watch the fear in his eyes as he stops breathing. I'm going to..._

I feel a hand on my arm and I look over, ready to attack. I see Max, a sad look in her eye. "Leave him be. He's down, he gets the message."

I want to rip my arm out of her hands and attack him until I can't anymore. I want to hurt him so he'll be bed ridden for a month. But Max is my voice of reason and I know it. I grunt and follow her to the counter. She buys her things and she pulls out her phone. "Who you calling?"

"David."

"Why"

"I was threatened by someone and I was in fear of my safety. You stepped in to protect me and I don't want you getting in trouble for it..."

_It seems that she is protecting me too..._

"Hello Mr. Madson...Okay, David...Well, Chloe and I are out shopping and we had a little incident...No,  _ **we**_ are okay...well, she kind of beat someone up...Steve Smith...he was threatening me...yeah, I would agree....I just don't want her to get in trouble for protecting me...yeah...yeah...Okay...thanks Mr. Mad, I mean David...See you in a few."

Max hung up and turned to look at me. "So, how badly am I getting punish..."

Max kissed me passionately. I followed her lead and, when we were out of breath, gave here a curious look. "David said he'd let his buddies know you were protecting me. I'm like a second daughter to Joyce and she is pretty popular with the guys down at the station. They'll probably just get your statement and let you go."

"Wow, I've never been there for an interview...A first time for everything I guess."

"Well, I hope it's the last time you have to hurt someone for me..."

"Me too, love. But you know I'd do it again and again if I had to."

"I know. We love each other and we'd do anything for the other person."

"Sounds kinda cheesy"

"Well, if our love is cheese, then call me a mouse cause I can't get enough of it..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY COW. This has been hella awesome. I've been posting stories for you guys for about 20 days now, not even a full month, and Blue psychosis hit 1,000 hits last night on the 17th of Febuary, 2018. I am so happy that enough people cared enough to stop by and give my writing a peek. I never imagined any of my stories getting any views. I figured I might get 2 or 3 views and then never have the story see the light of day again. But this story hit 1,000 and is still growing, The Arcadian Mob is over 500, and The Parting Noose is over 300. I can't tell you guys how much this means to me, but I'm sure you can guess. I may not be a professional writer, but this is one of my favorite past times and I really am glad that there are people out there who have liked it for even a second. I could go on for hours, but I'll spare you from that.
> 
> I have a close friend who has agreed to the idea that we do some writings together. Me and him are going through a period of just practice writing, but I am hoping that sometime soon we can put out some content and some of it might even end up here.
> 
> In other news, I am soon going to be adding to "Red line" (Which I should have done days ago) and I will be trying to add in some stories from other fandoms. So, if you see a fic from another fandom, don't worry. I won't leave you guys in the dust.
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and I hope that you enjoy the writing that is to come. Until next time, read on.


	11. The first date

"Guess who" I smile to myself and rub my chin. "Hmm, lemme guess. Is it...Cinderella?"

"Nope. Guess again."

"Hmm" I yawn and stretch my arms. "I'm have to say, Max."

"CORRECT!" She kisses me on the cheek and I smile. I roll over and kiss her, pulling my bed sheets over out heads and pulling her close. She wraps herself around me and I smile, breaking the kiss for air. "I love how we just become one."

"How so, love?"

"Well, when we kiss, the world just fades away. It's just you an me. Nothing else matters, nothing else makes a difference. I can feel your presence there, but it's like, like I just can't get close enough and then I reach a point where it's like we're one being..."

I caress her cheek and kiss her forehead. "I love when you get all philosophical on me. And I know what you mean, I feel, more whole when we are together."

"Well, we'll never have to be apart for too long. I promise that I'll never leave you hanging again..."

_Don't still be upset about that..._

"Love," I pull the blanket down around our shoulders and look into her eyes. "Do you still feel bad about having to move away all those years ago?" She slowly nods and looks down. I lift her head with my finger until she looks me in the eyes. "Baby, I forgave you as soon as you came back into my life. I know that you didn't want to move away, but it happened and my life would have never been this good if I didn't have those bad times. I think that this is the universe giving me a gift. If I never had those bad times, I would have never been able to earn this, what we have. I don't think I'll ever be worthy, but I think that I had to go through the bad to get to the good."

She stares at me and I close my eyes, feeling a tear fall and a finger wipe it away. Her hand cups my cheek and I nuzzle into it, smiling and sighing happily. "You can be so self-less, Chloe. You gave up too much to be with me..."

"But I'd do it all again, over and over. Because I care about you. I may fall, but you can always help me get up again."

"Well, thank you."

"No problem."

"Hey"

"Yeah, Max?"

"Let's go out."

"I thought we already were going out though..."

"On a date silly" She giggles and unwraps herself from me, I immediately feel much smaller and miss the contact. Max walks to the closet and pulls out a change of clothes that she keeps in there and gets dressed in her usual jeans and tee-shirt. "Let's go somewhere and get a nice bite to eat. We can go to an arcade or something. Let's just go hang out. Can we?"

I slowly stand up and walk over to her, laying my hands on her hips and staring down into her eyes. "I'd do anything for you love, anything could ever ask..."

"Anything? What about these little things called legal and ethical boundaries?"

"Maxine," I sigh and shake my head. "I smoke weed, which is illegal and I drink which is illegal for someone of my age. I have a dark mind and so my moral boundaries are already twisted. You're involvement twists it until it breaks and there is nothing that I will let stand between you and being okay..." I look away and I can hear Max clear her throat.

"Would you kill for me...?"

I look back slowly and begin to shake. "I don't want to, please don't ask it of me...I don't want to..."

_Why did you ask the baby? Why did you have to ask that..._

Her eyes grow wide and she nods quickly, pulling me into a tight hug. "I was only asking hypothetically. I'd never ask such a thing."

"I know"

She rubs my back and I breath a few shuddering breaths. "Lets get dressed and head out, shall we?"

"Yeah," I sniffle and wipe my eyes. "yeah, lets do it.."

\--------------------------------------------

As we walk into the restaurant, I notice that there is something different from every place that I've ever been.

_I can't put my finger on it, but this place just have something off about it..._

"Hello, can I help you?" I look at the woman and raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we'd like to eat here."

"All right Ma'am, will it just be the two of you or will you have other's joining you soon."

I look at Max and she notices my look of confusion.

She clears her throat and answers for me. "No, just the two of us."

"Okay, do you have a reservation?"

"No, we're a walk in"

_A what...?_

"Please follow me and I'll get you seated." Max nods and takes my hand, leading me to walk behind her. "The waiter will be out here in a few minutes."

"Thank you" Max smiles and looks at me after the waitress leaves. "What is it, Chlo?"

"Oh, nothing. This is just, so weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, I've never been anywhere but fast food places and the Two Whales. This is all so new to me."

"Wow, I never knew."

"Yeah. I feel pretty under dressed wearing my normal clothes."

"Hey, I'm wearing my normal clothes too, yanno."

"But you can get away with it Max. You're pretty and everyone knows it."

"Am not..." Max blushes and hides her face behind the menu.

_Don't pretend like doing that doesn't make you hella cute..._

"So are." I smile and look over the menu.

"So, what will you two have?" the waiter brings us each a glass of water.

Max hands over her menu and thinks for a second. "I'll have a plate of spaghetti and meat balls"

"Okay. And what about you miss?"

"Well," I hand him my menu and take a sip of my water. "I'll have the steak, well done. I'll have the mashed potatoes for my side dish and for a drink I'll do some ice tea."

"I'll be back with you drink in a moment and your food will be out soon."

"Thank you sir." As he walks away, Max looks over at me and nods. "I think I'm getting good at this high society eating thingy."

\-------------------------------

After eating, Max and I walk down the street and find an arcade. We walk inside and I go right to the machine I love best, the two man racing machine. "Come on, Max! Let's do this."

"You'll beat me though."

"Oh come on, where's your competitive spirit?"

"Ehh..."

"Well, why don't we make it interesting." I lean in and whisper in her ear. "The winner gets breakfast in bed, and the looser has to wear a french maid outfit."

"Hmm." Max looks me up and down a few times. "I would like some waffles in bed..."

"Well lets do it. Best two out of three?"

"You're on"

\------------------------------

I close the door and huff in exasperation. "I still say you cheated."

"All is fair in love and war." Max wraps her arms around my waist, laying her head against the back of my shoulder.

"I guess so..."

_I hope she likes my waffles..._

"I will be expecting my waffles tomorrow. I like them golden brown and buttery." She walks over to the bed and starts getting ready for bed. "I can't wait to see those legs in that french maid outfit."

"A deal is a deal, love."

"Well now, why don't you come to bed. I want to show you my, french speaking skills."

"Oh la la..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait, life got a little busy. I'm getting back in the grove of it, until next time, read on.


	12. L'appel Du Vide

_ **Chloe's Perspective (Present):** _

I stand next to the stove, drinking a cup of coffee and making waffles in the waffle iron. I sigh and flatten the apron of my maid outfit and chuckle.

_I still can't believe that she beat me at that stupid arcade game. To be fair though, I've never had her cooking and mom did give me the cooking gene._

I check the time and put the finished waffles on a plate with the others and butter them. When I'm finished, I put the butter back in the fridge and place the two plates worth of waffles on the tray with a can of Ice tea and some plastic cups. I enter my room and put the tray on my recently cleaned desk.

 _I guess this outfit does have one benefit: It makes you clean things at 6 in the morning._ _To be fair, I'd stuck all the paperwork in the drawers and the few things that were left I just organized to give me a bit more room_.

I look over to Max and see that she is still sleeping. I smile and close the door. I walk back and sit cross legged at the foot of the bed. "Max" the girl grumbles and nuzzles into the pillow. "Maaax" I speak a little louder and she moves her arm beside her. Her hand moves around trying to find something and then she sits upright quickly, looking to where I should be and then over to where I sit. "Hey cutie..."

Max looks me up and down and her mouth is still open a little as she stares into my eyes. "Beautiful..."

I smile and move closer so our faces are about a foot apart. "You know, they say that you know you love someone when you care about them them same when you're at their worst as when they're at their best. But I just discovered something..."

"W-what t-t-that..?" Her face and voice are full of worry.

I place my hand on her cheek and move closer. "You don't have a worst...you're always amazing...." Max closes the distance and kisses me. I wrap my arms around her waist and she holds onto my shoulders. After a few moments, I pull away (to Max's disappointment) and stand up. I retrieve the tray and nod for Max to move over. "Hold this for a second." I hand it to her and sit up next to her, pulling the tray back, I set it on our laps as we lean against the wall behind the headboard and Max puts her head on my shoulder.

"I'm happy to see that you went through with out little agreement."

"Hey, I'm a woman of honor."

"I know. It's just...surprising that you took to it this well." a grin of mischief crosses Max's face as she picks up a waffle. "maybe you should hold onto that outfit."

"Max," I grab a waffle as well, savoring the buttery goodness for a moment. "I've had this in my closet for a year and a half, why would I just get rid of it?"

Max looks at me and cocks her head to the side. "Why have you had a french maid outfit sitting in your closet for a year and a half is a better question."

I feel myself begin to blush, knowing very well that it's a legitimate question. "Well, I may have decided that I wanted to start seeing who I was as a person..."

"So you considered being a professional french maid?"

"NO! I meant that I was seeing what I was into..."

Max took a moment and then she began to blush as well, less so than me. "I see." She finally took a bite and her eyes widened. She chewed slowly and groaned. After devouring the rest of the waffle, she looks over at me with a look of astonishment. "Where did you learn to cook so good?!"

I hold my chest in feign hurt. "Am I such a horrible person that I look like I can't cook?!"

"I always figured that being Joyce's daughter that you'd know how to cook and I knew that you could be good at something if you put your mind to it, but damn. I didn't know food could be this good..."

I look back at her and smile. "Well, I'm going to be all yours. Just think, you get to wake up to my cooking for the rest of your life..."

Max thinks for a moment and then holds my hand firmly. "Have you ever thought about...our future?"

"Well, I've always figured that I'd get my education taken care of, get a job and we could move out somewhere like Portland or Seattle and we could have a studio apartment. We could get money together and do things at our own pace. We can travel, we can see the world, have an amazing time. And when we get older..." I take a breath and feel a tear flow down my cheek, leaving in it's trail a cool line of relief on my hot cheeks. "We can sit in the rocking chairs side by side and watch the sun set, and spend every moment together...even when we draw our final breaths, we'll be together..."

Max wipes away several more tears that are starting to flow and kisses my cheek. "That is beautiful and sounds amazing. I want that..."

"Well you have it. I promise you that I'll be here for you for the rest of my life."

"I'm glad we talked about this, but I did have something else in mind..."

_shit...well, at least she liked what I had to say._

"What's that Max...?"

"I was wondering if you'd ever thought about marriage."

"Well, I have actually. After I fell for you and we got together, I knew there were only two outcomes: marriage, or complete heartbreak leading to me isolating myself and just withering away into nothing..." I can feel Max squeeze my hand and I kiss her forehead, nuzzling closer as she eats a few more waffles.

"So, do you think we'll get married?"

"I know we will, it's a given. It's just a matter of time. I want you to be with me forever and marriage just seems like the logical step."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Max chuckled and nuzzled my shoulder for a moment. "Are you going to propose to me?"

"Of course I will, eventually. When I propose, I want it to be just right..."

"To appease your helpless romantic side no doubt."

"But of course." I take a few bites from a new waffle and then gulp the down. "But rest assured, I will propose, and I will marry you."

"Thank you..."

"For what, exactly, are you giving me your thanks?"

"Well, besides a general thank you for everything...thank you for choosing me. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me..."

"Max, there was no other choice for me. From the start, I've only had eyes for you. I may have indulged in having a few people on the side and fooling around, but it never felt right. I've felt this way about you..."

"Well I'm honored." Max finishes off the last waffle on her plate, looking at the cups. "What're those for?"

"Well," I grab the can and pour us both a glass of ice tea. "I figured that we could toast."

"But you made waffles."

"Har har." I smile and roll my eyes. "I figured that we could toast to us. To what we have. Because I've never experienced something so amazing as when I'm with you."

Max holds a hand over her heart for a moment and smiles. "It would be my pleasure..."

We each grab our cups and hold them up. "A toast, to us. The greatest thing to ever happen to me, and the one thing in life I can be sure of."

"Amen" Max and I press our cups together and then drink our ice tea.

\------------------------------------------

Max and I stay together in my bed for a long time, eventually going downstairs and sitting on the couch. I look on the table and I see David's knife. The light glistens off of the blade as I watch it.

_So close that I could just, touch it..._

"Chloe?"

"huh..hm?" I look over at Max and grin sheepishly. "What is it, love?"

"What's going through your head?"

"What do you mean?"

"You promised honesty to me. You said you'd be open." Max's face was stern and concealed a layer of fear. "Well talk to me damn it!"

I wince at her tone and think for a moment. "Have you ever heard of 'the call of the void'?"

"In passing..."

"The call of the void is, well, it's like a beckoning. It's like this feeling from beyond. You are drawn to do this thing..."

"What thing?"

"Well," I turn off the tv and turn to face her. "Stand near a cliff, you feel this pull, this wanting it look over the edge. You wonder what it would feel like if you were to just, step off into the abyss. When you're near fire, you can feel the heat, but you see it's beauty. I know that if I touch that flame, I will be burned. I will be hurt and damaged, but, the beauty in it is so, so close. I just feel the urge to touch it." I begin to scratch my arms and rock forwards and backwards gently. "Knives, oh boy. Knives are the biggest for me. You look at them and you think, 'I can take this little slip of metal and it will just, rip me apart'. I look at it and I can imagine the little pool of crimson staining the metal a deep red. I can feel my stomach begin to churn as I imagine plunging the blade into my flesh. I wonder what it's like to feel the parting of my flesh by a cold, steel slab. Heh...isn't that something? I know inside that I can never do it, yet part of my brain wonders what it's like...I can feel something beyond what I understand and see...I feel like I'm being drawn to it...I feel the urge, the want, the  _need_ to do it, Max." She looks at me with worry in her eyes, trying to keep her expression blank. "I thought that I was something... sub-human when I first discovered this. It felt like some higher power had deemed me unworthy and they were trying to tell me I needed to hurt, that I needed to be gone."

"Is that 'the call of the void', Chloe...?"

"Well, I guess so. It's the thoughts and the urges and the desires. The contemplation of something that you know you can't do, but it could happen. You could turn the knife towards you, you could jump off the ledge, you could touch the flame to your flesh. If you had a hammer and someone had their back to you, you could so easily hit them with it, over and over again. You could watch them die by your hand, from such and easy thing as a swing..." I feel a hand glide across my cheek and I realize that I've been crying. "It scares me, Max. I have these thoughts that come to mind and I have these feelings within me. I know that some of it is good old L'appel du vide (the call of the void), but I think that some of it is me truly being messed up..."

Max looks at me and then puts her hand on my shoulder, I look over at her and she speaks in a low, stern voice. "Sit back". I do so and she whispers in my ear, "Close your eyes." I again do so and take a deep breath. I feel weight on my legs and I feel Max grab my hands. I let her guide them onto something metal and she guides it forward slightly. "Would you ever hurt me...?" I open me eyes and look at Max. She is sitting in my lap, her hands hold mine onto the handle of David's knife, the point of which is about an inch from where her heart is.

"No...never." My voice is only a whisper, but I know that she heard me because her face is only inches away.

Max lets go of my hands, holding hers limply at her side. "If you think you'll ever hurt me, do it now. I'll forgive you if you find it too tempting."

_She can't be serious. But she never jokes about something like this..._

"No," I put the knife to the side and put it in its sheath that Max has put next to me. "I'm not hurting you. I don't have the desire to do it and even if I did I never would. I love you with all my heart. I will protect you from everything...even myself."

There was a silence that filled the room and its lack of sound was absolutely deafening. "Okay." Max nods and I can feel her shake a little. I push the knife off the couch and onto the floor, laying down and pulling Max with me. I hold her from behind and nuzzle into her shoulder.

"Did you really think that I was going to kill you...?"

"Truthfully? I didn't know..."

_You know, that hurts more than anything else she could have said..._

"Ouch..."

"I'm sorry, Chloe. But this stuff is just so new to me. I need time to help understand and internalize this. But I will always be by your side. I will always be your partner in time..."

"And I'll always be yours."

"As it should be, Chlo. As it should be..."

\-----------------------------------

After several hours of cuddling, Max and I head to Blackwell, cuddling some more until we hear a knock at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never want to just repeat the same story, so I've been looking into how to write "The Parting Noose", and integrate this into it for a smooth cross over, while at the same time not disturb anything that I've already set as cannon. I hope that this chapter lets me move into doing so.
> 
> Life get's busy sometimes (recently I've been neglecting most of my stories because of life being busy). But, I'll be getting back into the groove of writing pretty soon. I'll try not to flood you guys with content, but I might just throw in an extra update or two as a little "I'm back" thing. My chapters are starting to lengthen, so do be aware that I may end up updating on a bi-weekly schedule for a little while (life is still busy).
> 
> ANYWAYS, tell me what you think in the comments and until next time, read on.


	13. Time jumps, time jumps everywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a lot of times jumps and will be covering some of the events from the "Parting Noose" Crossover.

"Wow, their timing is kind of funny." Max smiles at me as we get ready to head with Kate and Victoria over to Kate's house to deliver the news.

"Well, our friendships with them are kind of 'funny' you might say." Max quips back as she zips her hoodie. "Do you think that we should tell them what we've considering?"

"No, this is their big time. Let them have it. Besides, they'll get a big enough ear full when I drop down on one knee and actually propose."

"True. Well, lets get out there."

"Yeah." I pull Max close to me and whisper in her ear while holding her in a tight embrace. "No matter what happens, we are there for Vic and Kate, so if things get bad, you stick with Kate and I'll be the one getting in people's faces if things go south. I need you to promise that no matter what, you will stay out of danger. You have your timey wimey deal, but that is something that I don't want to repeat..."

"I feel the same. I think that we should just stick to using our brains and if it comes to it you can use your fists. We do have an ally though, I trust that Kate's dad will keep anyone from getting hurt."

I nod and kiss her lovingly. "I just hope your right..."

\----------------------

As I walk around, getting the final boxes of Kate's possessions into the car and my truck, I think about what is ahead of us. "I know that Kate's mom is going to flip and I know that we will have to stand up if a fight goes down, but I just hope that things can be resolved without violence. Kate would really hate if it came to that..."

"I know, but I don't really think that we have a choice. We will be civil about everything as much as possible but at the end of the day, we have to accept that Kate's mom isn't going to accept her and that things sometimes have to be solved with a little deception and some fists." Victoria looks over at me and smiles for a moment. "Besides, I feel better knowing that I have you by my side."

"Thanks, Vic." I walk over and open the door, surprised to see Mr. Marsh standing there, looking at us.

"Chloe, I would like to speak with you alone if you don't mind."

_Oh boy, I wonder what this is going to be. He is on our side, but you never know what might come right out of left field at the last minute..._

"Of course, Mr. Marsh." I turn to Victoria and nod my head towards the staircase. "There are only a few more boxes anyways. You can just throw those in the bed of my truck, it's just some stuff that we can strap down with ratchet straps."

I look at Mr. Marsh and he nods. I follow him around the back of his house and he walks down along the side of the woods, looking at me from time to time. After a few moments of silence, he speaks. "I know that you and Max have been there for my daughter. I just want to thank you so much for what you two have done. I know that she have Victoria, but I know that you need good friends to get through hard times. I know that you and Max would do whatever you must in order to help her and that is the mark of true friendship."

"Thank you, sir."

"I am a man of the cloth, as you know. I teach the word of God and I am knowledgeable about other religions as well." I look over at him and he is smiling back at me. "If there is ever a time when you feel like you would like to hear some advice or if you want someone else's view on things, biblical or not, just let me know."

"Thank you, Mr. Marsh. I...I might just take you up on that offer sometime. We have different things to get through at the moment, especially with the whole Kate and Vic coming out deal, but when I have some time to kill or even if the schedule frees up a little, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. I mean, I have Max and we can talk about anything. But, she's a young person, just like me. We don't have the life experience that some others do. It's something I'd like to have someday, but I must work with others at the moment to see it in action..."

There is a little bit of silence between us, and then Mr. Marsh chuckles, looking over at me. "You know, I have a friend of mine, and you remind me of him. He is not someone who has as many years on this earth as me, but people have said before that he is sometimes above his peers when it comes to understanding things. He has a depth about him. He isn't arrogant about it. No one is perfect and he certainly has faults, but he tries his best. That is all we can do at times...Anyways, I digress. We could talk about religion all day and my friend could talk about behavior and the mind until the sun burns out. But we do have tasks at hand." He turns back towards the house and we begin our return trip. "I just wanted to let you know that I am here for you or Max or Victoria to come to. I am on your side you know..."

"I know that. It is comforting to know that someone is on our side besides just the 4 of us."

"You know, Chloe." Mr. Marsh stops in front of the door and I look into his eyes, waiting for him to continue. "No one is ever alone. Feeling alone is hard, but there is always someone, somewhere, willing to help you or be there for you. I know of one being off the top of my head who has always been there for me, no matter what."

_"Being"...?_

"Who would that be, father?"

Mr. Marsh smiles and then looks up at the sky, pointing into the air with his pointer finger. "Him."

I needn't ask who he is talking about, because I already know. Really, when it all comes down to it, I always knew that "He" was there with me. "My father, who art in heaven..."

\----------------------

_Wow, he really ripped into them. I'm glad that things have calmed down a bit. I don't like getting physical..._

Mr.Marsh goes up stairs and I think about what is going to happen next.

_Well, it would seem that Mrs. Marsh is going to become a single woman again and Kate will be able to be safe in her own home again._

I smile to myself, looking over at Kate getting in the good with her sister. I see something in the corner of my eye and I turn to see Mrs. Marsh standing with a knife and going towards Kate. I'm about to step up until Victoria throws herself in front of Kate and she is pushed out of the way. The knife misses Kate's chest, but instead buries itself in Vic's shoulder. She collapses and I can see her shaking with pain. Before I can bring myself to do anything, Kate hurls herself at her mother and brings her to the ground, hitting her and screaming like a feral beast.

_That is what I would do. I should let her have a little revenge before the cops get here. There should be a little karma in play..._

I glance towards the knife in Vic's shoulder as Mr. Marsh rushes down the steps, trying to piece together what is going on. I reluctantly go over and pull Kate off of her mother, trying to keep her from finishing what she started.

_Even though I think that she deserves it..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has had 2 major set back: 1.) a bunch of my updating to this chapter as a draft was deleted on accident and I lost a whole day's work and 2.) I hit some really bad writers block. I've gone through plot ideas and I have some places I could take the story, but I just don't know how to get things moving along.
> 
> I feel like I've failed you people who read my stories. I know that it hasn't been THAT long since an update, but it feels like far too long for my liking. I hope you guys liked this chapter at least some and that you stick around for what if to come.
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On.


	14. Deep thinking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to say that I am so, so very sorry with the large gap between my updates. I was using my computer and I was about to do some updates and then it crashed and I have been really busy so I haven't had the opportunity to come here and update. I am currently logged in on another computer and I wanted to throw out a quick update just to explain myself. I will update again as soon as I can and in a few months I will be able to replace my computer.
> 
> Because of all this my schedule will be hit and miss and I hope that you all can forgive me and hold in there for these next few sporadic months.
> 
> Anyways. Onto the story...

"What is life? Is it what gives us meaning, or is it just something that we go through to get to the other side. Is there even another side...?" I sigh and look around. It is about  3 in the morning and I am alone. I don't have anything to do and nothing has really happened in the last few hours. I sit on the steps up to Blackwell and stare off into the night. The stars shine brightly above my head and I watch them with a ghost of the wonder they brought me when I was a child.

_"What's that one, Daddy?"_

_"Oh that? That is the big dipper. And you see that star right there? Well that is the north star."_

_"Why is it called that?" I look up at my father to see him smiling brightly._

_"Well it's called that because it is north. If you ever get lost at night, you can always look to that star to help find your way."_

I look at Polaris and a lone tear drips down my eye. "that star has been there for centuries before I was alive and it will out live me by many more. It's guided sailors and explorers, many kinds of people from different races and creeds. But I need more than a star to guide me right now..." I let out a deep sigh and stand up, closing my eyes and feeling the cool night air on my skin. _I haven't talked about my dad's death with many people._ Suddenly I remember the words of Kate's father. I have always believed in God, but I've never really sat down and looked over my beliefs. It would be good to at least look things over and try to figure out  where I stand. "I guess I'll have to take him up on that offer soon."

After my little monologue, I stretch my sore muscles and turn around, walking back inside and going to Max's room. I quietly come in and lay down on the couch. _No need to wake her up._ I close my eyes and slowly drift of to sleep, thinking of the best thing that has happened to me in my whole life, her...


	15. Talks of being a better person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the short chapter yesterday. I just needed to let everyone know that I was back. I hope that this is a little better in the length department.

     I sigh and open my eyes. I see Max laying beside me and holding my shoulder. She shakes me again and I blink a few times. "Yes?"

"Chloe, I think that we need to talk about something."

_Oh great, what's wrong..._

"Okay Max, lay it on me."

She takes a deep breath and looks at me with a look of loving concern. "Are you going to be doing anything next week?"

_Well, this is a lot less panic-worthy than I thought._

"No love, I'm free."

She grins and caresses my cheek. "This is America, we're always free."

I chuckle and kiss her forehead. "You know what I mean."

"Yes I do. And I am asking you because I was thinking about going back to Seattle for a little bit. I want to reintroduce you to my parents and maybe even some of my other family members." I stiffen up and she holds me close. "It's okay Chloe, we don't have to tell them about us being together. But I just want them to know who you are so that maybe, one day in the future we can come out to them if we choose. At least that way you're not just going to be a stranger to them. You'll be the nice Chloe Price who was there for me in my hour of need." I nod slowly and I can see the Max begins to relax. We lay there and hold each other for a while longer, until I remember the happenings of last night.

"Max, I think that before we go I should spend some time with my mother. I know that we probably won't be gone long, but I think that I should at least stop by and let her know, maybe help her out a little before we leave."

"Sure thing. Do you want me to come with or...?"

"Nah. I know that she really likes you and has no problem with you being around, but I kind of want to spend a little of mother daughter time with her."

"No problem. Just checking."

"Yeah. Normally I would have said yes, but this time just different."

"Yeah." Max slowly stretches and gives out a cat like yawn.

"Awww. Did the lil kitty get enough sleep."

"Staaahp. I'm not your lil kitty..." She begins to pout be she is just barely keeping herself from grinning and it shows.

I kiss her lips and she smiles, kissing me back. "I think that we should get dressed."

"I do concur my friend."

"Only friend, Love?"

"Nope. Real love, love." We both begin laughing at how ridiculous we sound and finally get up and get dressed for the day.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"Well, I was thinking. I wanted to bring back the glory days of beating you at Mario Karts, so I ended up getting 2 Ds' from game stop that were well used, but still work."

"You, beat me? Oh in your dream Misses Caulfield-Price."

"You're gonna make me put a hyphen in my name?"

"Well I figured that Misses Price is a little premature."

"Who says that I'm gonna take your last name, huh? Who says you won't be Chloe Caulfield."

"Who says that we won't each take the other's last name?"

Max looks at me and I can tell that she is considering this. "You know that's pretty strange, right?"

"Well, I guess that would fit us. Cause who would know more about strange than us?"

She shrugs and then smiles. "I guess your right Chloe. I guess your right."

\---------------------

After a few hours of playing Mario Karts, we end up tying and I decide that I am going to pay a visit to Reverend Marsh. I text him and tell him that I would like to talk. A few minutes later he says that I can come over anytime today. I tell Max that I am going home and she decides that she is going to stay home and work on her gaming skills and maybe do some school work that is due after break. I get into the truck and start up a mix CD that I have in there. I begin to drive down the road and surrender my mind to the rhythm and remembering the directions to Kate's house. As I pull in, I see that there is only one car in the driveway.

I get out of my truck and begin to walk towards the house. Before I get to the front door, I see someone coming around the side of the house. "Hello, Chloe."

"Hello, Father. How are you this beautiful day?"

"I am good. You know, I'm glad that you contacted me. I was wondering how you and Max were doing."

"Oh we're fine. We've spent a lot of time together. We had some...business to take care of lately."

"My family is gone at the moment, you may speak freely." Reverend Marsh stands next to me and I really notice how he is dressed. He is wearing a hoodie and some old jeans. "Let's take a walk. I find that the trails around here are quite pleasant for conversation."

I nod and follow him. Once we are in the woods I turn to him and take a deep breath. "The other day I went with Victoria to her parent's place. Kate had called ahead of time to tell them what was happening. They were very cold and mechanical about things. They made sure that Victoria understood they were upset with her and then she signed a document stating that she was no longer associated with the Chase family."

"Ahh, yes. Kate mentioned something about talking to Victoria's parents and that it was quite, 'abnormal' in her words."

"Yeah. I went along to make sure that there was no reoccurrence of...last time." A small silence falls between us and he nods.

"I am still sorry about what happened when Kate talked to me and the rest of the family. My wife...ex-wife...has much to learn about love and what it is to be a parent. I only pray that the Lord shows her that she must open her heart to those that are not like her. Difference in behavior and ideas does not mean superiority or inferiority..."

_How someone like this man could marry someone like her and stay with her this long is beyond me._

"Why, if you don't mind me asking, did you stay married as long as you did?"

"Well, it's pretty simple. I wanted my children to have a mother and I didn't want to be alone. But, I went about it the wrong way. It would have been better if they were raised by a single father than by a bad mother."

"Is this something that you are just realizing now or...?"

"No Chloe, I've known this for a while. But I have a secret that I am going to share with you." He stops and looks over at me. "Are you ready?" I nod and he takes a deep breath. "I'm only human. I make mistakes and I think things that I probably shouldn't, just like everyone else."

"Makes sense."

"That it does. When I was married and I saw a beautiful woman, I'd still look at her and notice her beauty. Some would say that is immoral, others would say that it's just human nature. I like to believe that I have the ability to see a beautiful woman and appreciate it in a wholesome way, but I digress. My point is that it doesn't fucking matter what people think that you have to be or what people assume about you, you are you. There is no one else who can be you. Just be yourself. Even if you have to be yourself in private or with select people, just be yourself. It's unhealthy to pretend that you're something you're not."

I nod slowly and run my hands through my hair. "You know, I do have a question."

He nods and pulls out a flask, taking a small sip and putting back. I look at him and he chuckles. "Ice tea. Anyways, shoot."

I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a moment, opening them and looking out over the woods. "What about those with, intrusive thoughts? or the call of the void?"

Reverend Marsh sighs and starts walking again. I follow him and he looks at a tree with a birds nest in it as a bird flies over and lands in it. "Things such as that are out of human control, Chloe. I believe in God and I believe that he created us in his image. But I can also see the terrible things that people do and are forced to suffer through. We are social creatures but there are people who live as hermits or are anti social. There are different theories and ideas out there, but I would be disingenuous if I said I had any answers. My job is not to know all the answers, but to guide people to their own answers." He glances at me and takes another sip from his flask before he continues. "I am a guide, not the destination. I know that you want answers to your questions, but I can only point you in any given direction and be supportive."

I nod and we walk in silence for a short while.

_He is right, I wanted answers, but I guess I should have known better. It is good to know that there is someone I can go to though..._

"Father?"

"Yes Chloe?"

"Would it be okay with you if I attended church one of these days? I'm about to travel with Max to go spend some time with her family, but when I return it would be nice to see what church is like."

"Sure thing, but I would highly suggest that you come alone."

"Why's that?"

"Because if one person comes into the back of the church and they just listen to things, that's not that big of a deal. We have people who wander through sometimes and it's just accepted. But if you and Max and anyone else start showing up out of the blue, someone is gonna get nosey."

"I get it. Thanks for the heads up."

"No problem. And I also wanna throw out that things are different depending on where you go to church. Different faiths and different groups have different practices. Even from different regions of the country, the same church can be pretty different."

"Yeah." We are soon walking into the backyard of the Marsh home and I can see a car pulling up.

"Is there anything else that you would like to discuss, Chloe?"

"I think that I'm good for now. Thank you for letting me talk to you about this stuff. I needed to just talk."

"Sure thing. Well, I should probably get inside and start dinner."

"Okay. Have a night day Father."

"You too, Chloe."

\-----------------

I drive over to my house and I spend the rest of the day with my mom, doing some cooking. I let her know that Max and I are going to Seattle for a few days and she tells me to have fun and let Max's parents know that she says hi. Eventually, I end up back at the dorms, looking at the front door as I approach. I see Victoria at the end of the hall and I knock on the door, waving to her as she looks over. She lets me in and I fill her in on Max's plans to head up to Seattle.

"It's nice that she's gonna show you off to the family. Are you excited?"

"Well, I am just going as her 'friend'..." I say with air quotes for the word friend, "But I think that it will most likely go well. It'll just be me going up and filling them In on some of the things that have happened. Max said that if things go well we can come out to them."

"Well, I wish you luck."

"Thank Vic. Take care of Bun Bun while Max and I are gone."

Victoria smiles and gives me a wink. "Will do"

We smile at each other and I walk over to Max's door, knocking on it a few times before going in. As I enter, I see Max huddled up on her bed crying. I rush over to her and hold her shoulder. "Max! What's wrong, baby."

Max points to her desk and I look up. The glass is smashed and there is a brick on her desk. I go over and pick it up. Attached to it is as note:

_**Dear Max,** _

_**You and your girlfriend can't hide from me.** _

_**I'll be seeing you soon.** _

_**-Steve.** _


	16. Diversions

I drop the brick back onto the desk and jump up, running over to Max and holding her by her shoulders. "Max, look at me baby." She looks up at me and I wipe some of the tears from her cheeks. "We are going to call David and he is going to come over and we'll figure out what to do, okay? I need you to grab your back and pack it with whatever you need for Seattle. Bring some clothes and what ever else you want. We'll get you out of here."

"No." Max grabs my arm and holds me in place. I look back at her and she had a look of determination on her face. "I am not leading him back to my family."

I pull out my phone and call David. After a few rings he picks up. "Hey Chloe. What's going on?"

"Someone is stalking Max."

"Where are you?"

"We're in her dorm room. Come here quickly."

"Be right there." the line goes dead and I put my phone away, waiting for David to arrive. I sit down next to Max and pull her into a hug. She embraces me and I can feel her shaking. After a minute of two there is a knock on the door. And David pokes his head in. I nod my head over to the window and he approaches it, examining the brick and reading the note. "Is this the same Steve that came after you guys at the store?"

"Yeah..." Max's voice has lost it's determination and sounds like she is trying not to cry. "I filed a restraining order against him when I lived in Seattle, but he's popped back into my life. He keeps trying to get me to go out with him."

"Well, Max. This is serious." David looks out the window for a moment and then comes over to the bed. "Chloe, I think that you and Max should head back home." He pulls out his notebook and starts writing.

"David, It's fine. You guys don't have to do anything for me." Max starts to fidget with her hands and David sighs.

"Max, Chloe and I have never been the closest people in the world, but I think that I can speak for her, Joyce, and I when I say that you're part of our family. We won't let anything happen to you. Besides, you've been welcome to that house since before I came into the picture and I'm not trying to change that." Finally, David hands me two pieces of paper and a key. "Drive Max home. One of those tells Joyce what is going on and the other is incase something happens."

I look at them and put them into my pocket. "What about the key?"

"The note will explain. Get going, I'll be home soon." As he begins to walk off, he pauses. "Hey, take this." David hands me a bottle and I look at it. In a blocky font it says _MACE._ I nod and help Max to her feel. I hand her her bag and we walk out of the dorms. We go to the parking lot and I open up Max's door, throwing her bag in and helping her up. After I shut her door I run over to my side, hop in, and start driving back home.

"Max, listen to me baby. You're going to be okay. We're going to be safe. Do you hear me?" I try to sound as calm and soothing as I can. Apparently it works because Max leans over and kisses my cheek. I glance over at her for a second and she is smiling.

"Thank you, Chloe. I'm glad that I have you to count on."

"No problem, love. It's what I get paid for."

"Who pays you?!" Max begins to giggle and I smile, turning down the next street.

"Why you of course. You use the ultimate currency, love."

\-----------

As I pull into the driveway, I park the car and pull out the notes. The first one is for mom:

**Joyce,**

**There is someone who is stalking Max.**

**Please keep her close.**

**I'll be home soon.**

**-David**

I pull out the other note and for a moment I don't know if this is a joke or not:

**Chloe,**

**This is the key to the gun cabinet.**

**Take one and lock yourself and Max in your room.**

**Be discreet and hang in there.**

**-David**

_Could this be serious? I mean he already gave me a bottle of pepper spray and I've beaten this guy up before..._

"What's up, Chlo?" Max grabs onto my shoulder and I shove the notes into my pocket.

"Nothing, just thinking. Let's hurry up and get inside." I grab Max's bag and lock the truck when she gets out. We run into the house and I close the door behind us. I walk into the Kitchen where Joyce is cooking some food and hand her the note.

"Hey Chloe, I didn't expect you home so soon..." As she reads the note her face turns pale and she looks up at me and I nod.

"Hey Max, head up to my room. I'll be there in a minute." She nods and runs upstairs. "We should both head upstairs. I'm gonna grab a board and some screws from the garage to seal us in until David get's home." She nods and I go into the garage. I take out the key and unlock the gun cabinet, taking out a pistol and sticking it in my waistline and covering it with my shirt. I quickly grab some screws, a drill, and a 2 by 4 board. I run upstairs and close the door. "Mom, hold this end." She does and I screw the board into the door frame so that it blocks the door closed. I put the drill down and turn around. Max is sitting on the bed holding one of my pillows and mom goes back to sitting in the chair at my desk. "Hey, did you take the food off the stove?"

"Yeah. I shut the stove off too."

"Okay, just checking." I go and sit next to Max. She leans against me and I hold her close.

\----------

About half an hour later, the silence making the tension in the air almost tangible, the door downstairs opens. There are footsteps and I see mom pull out the pepper spray. There is about a minute of silence and then we hear more footsteps. I hold Max close and keep a hand at my side, near the handgun. Eventually the stairs begin to creek and there is a knock at the door. "Girls, it's David. Can you let me in?"

We all relax and I take a deep breath "Sure thing. Hold on David." I get up and pick up the drill. I unscrew the board and set it down to the side. I open the door and David walks in. I close the door behind him and go to sit down next to Max. "Nothing happened while you were gone."

"Okay." David sighs and runs his hands through his hair. I see that he has a pistol holster on his hip and he had a handgun inside of it. "Here's the deal. Steve is probably watching the house. That means that we have the perfect opportunity. Joyce and Chloe, you two are going to go spend some time is Seattle at the Caulfield's house."

"David, I will not put my family in danger." Max's sudden, cold determination makes Joyce flinch and I let go of her, giving her space.

"And you won't. I was thinking about it when I was coming over here. He's probably watching us like he was when we were at the dorms. I could see him poking his head out from behind a tree with binoculars. Chloe's truck is parked out front and if he knows Max is here, then he will try to get in here. The only catch it that this isn't the most elegant plan and It requires that you don't have claustrophobia."

Max narrows her eyes and lets out a sigh. "I'm listening..."

\-----------

I help mom move one of the final boxes out to the car. Max steps out of the house and I walk over to her. "I love you..."

"I love you too, Chloe. Everything will be okay, you just have to trust me."

"Okay..." I nod and give her a hug. After a moment I give her a kiss and sigh.

"Okay Max, come on." David motions towards the inside and Max nods.

A few moments later mom emerges with the final box. I open up the back door for her and we stick it inside. "Let's get going, Chloe."

"Sure. Whatever..." I sigh and jump into the passenger seat, buckling up and resting my head against the window.

_I sure do hope that David knows what he's doing..._

\----------

A few hours into the drive, my cellphone rings. I pick it up and put it on speakerphone. "Sup?"

"We got him. Steve tried to sneak in through the attic but John caught him with a knife and a ski mask. He's getting processed now."

"You hear that? They got Steve!" I smile and can feel tears of happiness beginning to flow down my cheeks. "Thank you, David."

"Hey, it's what families do. By the way, say Hi to Max for me."

There is rustling as the flaps of a box pop open and Max emerges. "Hey David. See you when we get back."

"Okay, see you three soon." David's smile can be heard in his voice.

"Bye honey!" Joyce throws in. I hang up the phone and Max gets into her seat, buckling up.

"So, how far are we from Seattle?"

"Well, I think that we are about half an hour out." I look back at Max and chuckle. "You wanna take a stab at driving?"

"Sure, why not. I haven't had anything to do besides sit in a box for the past few hours."

"How was it?" Joyce puts on the blinker and begins to pull into a rest stop on the side of the highway.

"Cramped. Thanks for the air holes though. Those made it a bit better."

"Sure Thing. Let's take a little break to stretch up here. I need to use the restroom anyways."

As Joyce parks, we all jump out and begin to stretch. I walk around and give Max a tight hug. "I missed you."

"I was right behind you the whole ride."

"I know..."

"We texted each other the whole time."

"But I missed your voice and holding you."

"When you put it that way, I missed you too Chloe." Max yawns and nuzzles into me. A few minutes later mom comes out of the bathroom and we get back into the Car, Max in the driver seat and me in the passenger seat. Mom moves the box and relaxes in the back seat. once we're on the highway again, I take Max's free hand.

_It's been forever since I've seen her parents. The last time was at...dad's funeral._

I sniffle and I can feel Max squeezing my hand. I squeeze back and sigh happily.

_At least I'll have mom and Max on my side. Even David is there for me if I need him. I really have a strong family on my side..._


	17. A Surprising Dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated yesterday but I couldn't help myself.

I take a deep breath as Max knocks on the door.

_At least mom is in on the fact that the relationship is in the closet for the moment. Besides, with her here I have someone around that can have some authority and tell people off._

The after a moment the door opens a little. "MAX! What do I owe this visit to..." He stops talking as the door opens and he spots me and mom standing on the edge of the step. He holds his arms out and mom gives him a hug. I can remember the last time he was over at my house.

_" **Now remember Will, you still have to lemme show you how to make those stuffed bacon cheeseburgers."**_

**_"Sure thing, Ryan. I'll see ya later."_ **

**_"See ya man."_ **

_The next time they saw each other dad was in a casket..._

I can feel myself tear up and when he steps back to look at me I run into him and give him a tight hug. "It's been strange not having you around."

He pats my back and I step back folding my hands together and sniffling. "It's been strange without you practically living in the house. Even after all this time."

_Max and I basically lived together 24/7. The only thing that changed was who's house we slept at. I guess the intimacy of our relationship was kinda writing on the wall. We were always inseparable._

Max clears her throat and Ryan sighed. "We were just getting ready to cook supper. Would you guys mind staying for a little while?"

"Sure thing, Ryan. The girls were actually coming up to visit for a few days but, something happened and we all decided to hop in the car and come up here." Mom hits the lock button on her keychain and we all head inside, taking off our shoes near the door.

"Ryan, honey. Who's at the door?" Max's mother walks into the room and gasps, running over and giving my mom a tight hug. She pulls back and gives me a hug too. "Joyce, Chloe, It's been so long! What brings you two to our humble abode? Not that I'm not ecstatic, but it is a little sudden..."

"I hope it's no trouble. The girls were going to come visit, but I ended up driving them up here."

"Please, stay as long as you guys would like. We were just gonna cook something for dinner. You guys haven't eaten have you?" Vanessa Caulfield had walked into the kitchen and taken out some coffee cups.

"No, we had to get going pretty suddenly and we didn't have time to stop and eat." My explanation is met with raised eyebrows from Max's parents and I sigh. "I think that we should sit down and brew some more coffee. The story takes a little while...."

\-----------------

Max and I recap the events of Blackwell and then explain what had been going on in our lives (minus all the relationship stuff with Max and I). They shook their heads at what Jefferson did, patted my shoulder when we told them about Rachel (Max even gave me a one armed hug), and gasped when we told them about how ballistic Kate's mom went. I slowly watched them as we told them about Victoria and Kate being together and they didn't seem to be upset about it or have any objections.

"It's terrible that a parent would rather have their child dead than accept who they are..." I take another sip from my coffee and watch for a reaction. The Caulfields nod and Ryan sighs.

"There is nothing that you can or should do that would change who someone likes. As long as my family is happy, I'm happy." Ryan looks over to me and notices my looking at him. "You know, I count you as family Chloe. Always have."

I smile and chuckle. "Thank you."

"Besides, if I didn't I'd owe Max's mom five dollars."

Max gives her father a sideways glance. "Why's that dad?"

His cheeks get a pink tint to them and she chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your mother and I kind of have a running bet about weather you two would end up being a thing at some point."

_What now..?_

"So you two are betting about weather I'm going to date my childhood friend or not."

"Max, it get's really boring around here with you gone. We spent 18 years raising you. We need _something_ to keep us busy..."

"Wait, wait, wait." I hold up my hands. "Who's betting about what."

"Chloe!" She slaps my shoulder a few times and her parents chuckle.

"This is important Max." She glares at me and then crosses her arms, looking away from me.

"Well," Max's mom spoke up. "I was betting she was going to end up with that boy Warren that she's friends with."

"So that means..." I look over at Max's dad and click my tongue, shaking my head. I pick up my coffee and say "Sorry."

Vanessa looks at me with a concerned look. "What for Chloe?"

"You owe your husband five dollars..." I take a sip of my coffee and take a deep breath, looking over at Max. She looks back at me and I take her hand, smiling at her. She smiles back and leans against me.

"Oh darn it. Well, you win this one Ryan. But I'll beat you on the next one." Max looks at her mother about to say something when her mom cuts in. "We already had the bet going and we can't tell you because we don't want you to be biased."

"Fair enough." Max sighs and closes her eyes, nuzzling my shoulder.

"You're just call it even? Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Vanessa laughs and Max looks over at her.

"Cause I'm too comfortable here...I didn't exactly have a good day before I came up here..." I can feel Max life her legs up on the couch and I kiss her forehead, squeezing her hand.

"What happened?" Ryan has his protective father voice on and I can feel Max tense up.

"Remember that boy that used to come over and ask if I was around?"

"Yeah, I remember Steve. We got that restraining order against him."

"Well, it didn't really restrain him."

"What do you mean Max?"

"Well, he asked me to go with him to a dance. I said no and so he punched me and yelled that I was being an uptight bitch...Chloe, you're crushing my hand." I apologize and let go of her hand noticing that my knuckles are white from making fists. "Anyways, he stormed off. I didn't see him for a while, but then one days Chloe and I went to the store. I was looking for something to buy Kate and he came up to me. He asked me if I wanted to go to the dance and I said no, so Chloe stepped in and beat the crap out of him. I told her to stop because I was afraid she was going to kill him." She looks over at me with a sad look in her eyes.

"Well you weren't wrong..." I take a deep breath and hold her hand again. I look over at Ryan who gives me a small smile a nod. I nod back and pick up the story. "I went to go take care of some business and when I came back, there was a brick on Max's desk that with a note on it. It said that we weren't safe and that he was going to see us soon."

Max clears her throat and sighs. "I was getting ready to come and visit you guys for vacation because I wanted you to meet up with Chloe again and we were going to see if you would be okay with us. Then the brick flew through the window and I read the note. When Chloe came in I was huddled up and freaking out. She called the security guard, who is also her step-dad. He had us go to Chloe's house and we hid for a while. Then he had Joyce and Chloe pretend to drive away with a bunch of boxes in the car. The thing is they ended up sneaking me into one of those boxes. A few hours ago David called us and said that him and the sheriff had caught Steve trying to break into the house and that he was being processed while he was talking."

There is a silence in the room that is both tense and calm at the same time. Max leans against me more and I wrap both of my arms around her, resting my head in her hair. I close my eyes and I can hear the rest of them drinking their coffee. "Thank you...both of you" I look up to see Vanessa holding her husband's hand and looking between me and mom. "I'm glad that Max had you guys there for her."

"Vanessa, Max has always been like my second daughter. She's always welcome at our house. And I know that both David and Chloe think of her as family too. Besides," She looks over at us and grins, "At this rate we might actually be related in a few years."

I chuckle as Max sits up and looks at me. "Well, anything is possible." I smile as she blushes.

\----------------

The timer on the food rings and we all get up and sit at the table. We start eating some corn on the cob and bbq chicken when Ryan clears his throat. "So, I assume that you girls will be sharing Max's room and Joyce will be in the upstairs guest room. But that leaves the other guest room and the couch open. I was thinking, maybe we could invite Jeff and Sherry."

Jeff was Vanessa's brother and Sherry was Ryan's sister. Jeff was married to his high school sweetheart and Sherry was a single businesswoman who worked for a nearby. Vanessa nods and takes another corn on the cob. "It's been years since they've seen either of you and I think it'd be nice to at least let em' see you."

Max nods and looks at me. "It'd be nice to see them again. Remember when Sherry gave us those huge jawbreakers?" She giggles and I nod, smiling.

"I remember that you damn near broke your tooth trying to eat it."

"Well it's not my fault that I didn't know how to eat it!"

"It's called a jaw breaker! I think it'd be pretty clear that they're hard."

"Not as hard as your skull, babe." I chuckle at Max's burn and take a bit of chicken.

"You have a point there." We eat dinner quietly and when it's time to clean up, Ryan insists on doing the dishes.

"Chloe, could you put the corn into a Ziploc back for me and toss it in the fridge before I forget?"

"Sure thing." I kiss Max's cheek and she goes to sit in the living room.

"Hey, thank you for standing up for her, Chloe." I look over at Ryan and nod. "I'm glad she has someone like you. I know that you really care about her and that you'll keep her safe. That and the fact that I haven't seen her this happy since before we moved away from Arcadia Bay."

"Really? I mean I know she missed me but...didn't she have friends out here and stuff?"

"Yeah, she had that asshole Steve, before he started stalking her." His speech is more like a growl than words as the come through his ground teeth. He takes a deep breath and dries off another dish. "She basically just went out to take photographs at the park and went to school. When she was here she was nice enough but, distant..." He shakes his head at the memory. "She missed you really bad. It was scary for a little while, but she never did anything crazy. I did catch her sneaking out one night and she explained that she would go on walks to steady her nerves when it got really bad. I went with her that night to make sure that nothing happened." Ryan looks out the window, lost in his memory. "She told me that night that she always thought of you as more than a best friend, but that by the time she'd figured it out, she was already leaving. She didn't want to drag out along with a relationship if she was going to leave. She also assured me that you were really into a boy that you went to school with, so she didn't want to ruin the friendship she had."

I know that my mouth is just open and that I probably look stupid, but it takes a minute to regain my ability to control it.

_She really cared about me...all the way back them?_

Ryan looks over at me and catches my shock. He puts the last dish away and wipes his hands. He gives me a quick hug. "I guess you had a heads up on how to bet then.."

"Not really. Max is very scared when it comes to matters of the heart. I figured that she might never tell you anything because of how scared she gets. But it wasn't my place to do something. Besides, I didn't want to cause trouble if she ended up with someone else."

"Well, I hope you like me being around cause she's not gonna be single anytime soon."

"Good to hear Chloe, good to hear."

Ryan turns off the lights in the kitchen and we sit in the living room. I sit next to Max and we lean against each other. Vanessa turns on the TV and we watch some cheesy horror movie, laughing at the ridiculous monsters and having a good time.

_It's so good to have Vanessa and Ryan back in my life. I didn't realize how much I missed them. I'm beyond ecstatic about well they're taking this. It would appear that people I call family is growing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first story that I started writing back in January when I first became a member on archive of our own. It's come a long way since then, having my 3 month gap and adding 8 more works after this one. Now this story has over 30,000 words (at exactly 29,999 words before the posting of this chapter) and over 2,200 hits. That is more than I ever thought. I knew that I'd be writing this for a long time, but I never thought I'd be more than a few passing hits on it. I have you people to thank for coming back over and over to read my writing and encouraging me to keep it going, being understanding about my computer troubles, and leaving me nice comments.
> 
> Thank you so much to all of you.
> 
> And Until Next time, Read On


	18. Family sucks

_The last time that I saw Max's uncle Jeff, he was having a beer and he was talking with Ryan about how he had recently bought a new pickup truck. Nothing really stuck out about him, but I never really liked him. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but as a kid I just never found anything about him that stuck out as likeable. Max's aunt Sherry, on the other hand, was a really nice and helpful person. Whenever she visited she would talk to me like I was her second niece..._

"What are you thinking about, babe?" I roll over and look at Max. After a while, we'd come up to her room and laid down. It was like her dorm room, pictures taped to the wall and various different things that most people would reject as ancient or useless were scattered around the room, making it more inviting to me than most places do.

"Remember when I didn't know what to call Sherry and so I called her 'Max's aunt Sherry'?"

"I do." Max smiles and begins to chuckle. "I remember when you called her that and she started scratching her chin and asked why you called her that."

"Yeah. I was so scared that I had messed something up."

_"Why do you call me that, Chloe?"_

_"I-I uh...."_

_"Hmm, how about you just call me Aunt Sherry. I mean, you're pretty much Max's sister anyways."_

_"Okay!" I give her a hug. "Thank you, Aunt Sherry."_

_"For what?"_

_"Thinking of me as family..."_

I'm pulled back to reality by Max's gentle touch against my cheek. "You know, even back then you were a part of my family, Chloe."

"In a bit of a different way, but yeah. I guess I was."

"You, even when we were just childhood friends, were (and still are) the most important person in my life."

"I think you would have said your parents were just a few years ago." I look down for a minute and feel my face begin to warm up.

"I don't think so." She kisses my cheek and pulls closer to me, wrapping our legs together. "I think, that I would have said that you were the person that I couldn't stop thinking about. Despite the friends that I made and the things I did, you were always in my thoughts. Even though I didn't have the courage to tell you I still cared, I never stopped caring. It's like I said on the tape I left you when I moved to Seattle, we will always be Max and Chloe..." I can hear her voice begin to shake and I don't hesitate to pull her close, putting my hand in her hair and kissing her.

When we pull apart, I run my hand through her hair and she buries her face into my chest. I rest my chin on the top of her head and just hold her. After a while I can feel her press her ear to my chest and listen to my heart. "You know, even though I was mad at you for the longest time, I knew that you would be there is you could. I also knew that if you ever came into my life again, I'd take you back in a heart beat."

"I know. That just makes me love you even more..." I hear her take a deep breath and then silence followed. Soon, her breath became slow and steady and my eyes lids felt heavy. I closed my eyes and felt myself being pulled into the realm of sleep.

_It's been a long time since I've been around Max's relatives, but I think that I'll be able to fit right back where I used to be..._

\--------------------------

I wake up when I feel something moving next to me. I open my eyes and the sun is just beginning to peak up over the horizon outside the window. I see Max, rolling around in my arms and I grab hold of her just as she's rolling out of bed. She wakes with a start and looks up at me with wide eyes. "It's okay Max, it was just a dream." She nods and begins to take deep breaths, shaking her head a few times like she is trying to push a memory out of her mind. After a moment she gins and rolls on top of me. "I've caught you now, Captain Bluebeard

"Oh no, a mutiny. What ever shall come of a Captain as fair as me at the hands of thee?"

"I just make yee walk the plank."

"Arr, tis a fate worse than Davy Jones' locker to be betrayed by me own first mate!"

"Who said I was betrayin' yee?" Max slowly leans down kisses me, taking my head in both of her hands and smiling into the kiss.

"Don't yee think this a wee bit unprofessional?" I chuckle as she pulls away, a wide grin on her face.

"Well, I figured we could break a few rules before we had to meet up with the rest of the crew."

"I see. In that case first mate, how about we start with the first order of business."

"What's that, oh blue captain."

"Enjoying some fine Pirate booty."

\----------------------------

After a few hours, Max and I both take turns using the bathroom to shower and freshen up. We head downstairs and I can see the bacon and eggs that I've been smelling for the last 10 minutes, sitting on the kitchen table. Vanessa looks over at us and smiles. "Good morning, ladies."

"I didn't know you were cooking breakfast yet."

"Oh I didn't, your mom did. I think that it's best I let the person who cooks for a living do the actual cooking."

"Even though it is totally impolite." My mom walks in from the other room and shakes her head. "But I volunteered because I'm just so used to it. I figured I'd make myself useful."

"Well, I think I'll make myself useful and eat all of this bacon."

"Really, Chloe?" Max gives me a glare and crosses her arms. "You're not leaving anything for me?"

"Hey, bacon is bad for your health. It's greasy and has a lot of fat. I'm saving your life here." Max is taken aback by my tone, which came out harsher than I intended, but then shakes her head and smiles like a fool when she sees my shit eating grin.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Does this mean you'll let me take teddy to bed?" I take a plate and grab a few strips of bacon and some eggs, putting cheese over both of them and taking a place at the table.

"I never said you couldn't in the first place." Max shoots me a look before I can say anything. "But that doesn't mean you can start bringing other women into the bedroom."

"I never said anything like that!" I look over at Mom and Vanessa who both put there hands up.

Mom shakes her head and turns back to her own plate of food. "You're my daughter, but you're on your own on this one."

"You're probably gonna be my daughter-in-law in a few years and you're still on your own on this one." Vanessa adds in with a smile.

"MOM!"

"What, Max? I just assume that at some point you two are gonna get married. I mean, it's a reasonable assumption."

"I always figured it'd be in the cards." I add in. "I mean, we've already had _the talk._ There's just no reason to get into that at this point in life."

Max starts blushing more and sighs. "I know! But we don't have to talk about it. I mean, we shouldn't make a habit of bringing up the relationship all the time because there are only certain people who can know."

"Who have you two told anyways?" I look up at Vanessa and scratch my head for a second.

"Well," I start. "We told you guys, David, Victoria, Kate, and Kate's father (the honorable Reverend Marsh)."

"I thought it was only judges that had 'the honorable' before their name."

I shrug and Vanessa seems content, going back to her food. "Anyways, we haven't really told many people. It's not like we're ashamed of each other, but it'd just be a little easier if we didn't have to explain it to everyone who walked in the room."

"Sherry wouldn't have any negative reaction to it." I halfway jump out of my chair as Ryan walks into the room and Max puts her hand on my shoulder. I just clear my throat and go back to eating. "Sorry bout that. But yeah, I don't think we have to keep family in the dark. We won't tell her or Jeff if you guys don't want them to know, but I don't think you'll be running into any kind of problems if they were to find out."

"I don't know." everyone looks at Max and she shrugs, picking up a strip of bacon. "I don't know why, but I have the feeling that Karma has been really good to us and that eventually it's gonna come back to hurt us." now it's my turn to put my hand on Max's shoulder. I squeeze it a little and she flashes me a smile. "Anyways, when are they coming by?"

"Well, I think we have about another 20 minutes before they stop by. I just finished setting up the guest room and I think that Sherry will be fine with a spare pillow and a blanket, but it not I can always grab her something." Ryan offers. Everyone nods and we pass the following 20 minutes with eating in a peaceful silence.

\---------------------------------

It isn't long until the doorbell rings. Max gets up off the couch and I turn down the TV, standing up and brushing a few wrinkles out of my shirt. The door opens and I can see Sherry standing there with a suitcase and a big smile.

_Even with how much things have changed and how much time has gone by, she still looks the same._

"MAX! It's been forever." She gives Max a tight hug and rocks from side to side. She back up and looks over at me. She gives me a smile and holds her hand out as Max backs up a few steps. "Hi. I don't believe we've met before..."

I try to hid my disappointment and hope I don't have a hurt expression on my face. "Hey Sherry..." She tilts her head and raises an eyebrow. "I usually call you aunt Sherry, but it's been a while..."

She stares for a moment and then her eyes widen with recognition. "No way. Chloe?!" I nod and she pulls me into a tight hug, which I reciprocate. "Oh my goodness you look amazing! I love what you've done with the hair."

"Thanks. I got it colored a few years after Max moved to Seattle."

"Yeah. I heard about William. My condolences..." She pats my shoulder and squeezes it a little. I smile and nod.

"Thank you. It's been a rough five years, but with Max going to Blackwell we ended up reconnecting and things have been getting better."

"That's good to hear." She puts her suitcase next to the couch and sits in the middle of it. "So," she pats the seats next to her and Max and I sit on either side. "What brings the pirates of Arcadia Bay to the fair city of Seattle." Mom and the Caulfields enter the rooms and she smiles. "Hey brother. Vanessa. Joyce." They all nod and Ryan takes a breath.

"Well sis, I think we need to have a little family talk."

"Oh?"

Ryan hands her a coffee. "Yeah, it's a long one."

\----------------------------------

The five of us fill her in on the story of what happened at Blackwell, the situation with Kate and Victoria, and even Steve's brief venture as Max's stalker.

"That's fucked..." we all nod and I look at Max, raising an eyebrow, nodding to Sherry. Max nods and I clear my throat.

"You know, Sherry." She looks over at me and I take a deep breath. "There is one more thing that's happened since you last saw any of us."

"What's that?" Sherry looks at me with a mixture of worry and concern, both dwarfed by a large amount of curiosity in her eyes.

"Well," Max took a deep breath. "Chloe and I are girlfriends."

Sherry grins and shakes her head. "You know, that is not surprising in the least. Congrats you two." She gives each of us a one armed up (which we both return). "Are you guys in the open, or just letting family in on it."

"We're just letting the people we trust in on it." I say and I run a hand through my hair.

"Well I'm honored to be in that group. Are you guys telling Jeff?"

"No problem. We're gonna let him know some of the crazy things that have happened and we'll screen him out first."

"Sounds fair."

"Speaking of Jeff," Vanessa slides her phone into her pocket and looked at us with a smile. "He's gonna be here about dinner time. Which I should probably get started. Joyce, you wanna give me a few pointers?"

"Sure thing."

"Hey mom, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Mom walks over to the other room and I follow close behind. "What is it honey?"

"I need you to take this." I take the handgun out of my waist and hand it over to her. She looks at me ready to give a scornful lecture before I hold my hands up. "David slipped me the key to his gun cabinet with a note that told me to take one and lock myself in my room with Max. I was gonna give it back to him, but I kept it incase Steve followed us. I don't need it anymore and I've been waiting for an opportunity to hand it over without causing a scene."

Mom takes a deep breath and nods. "that's very mature of you. I'll put this in my room and we'll give it back to David when we get home. In the meantime, I'll help with the cooking and we can get this dinner underway."

"Thanks, mom." I give her a quick hug and head back to the couch, this time Sherry has moved over and I sit on the other side of Max.

\----------------------

After about an hour of conversation, Max heads upstairs to wash her hands for dinner and I follow. We get upstairs and Max grabs my wrist, pulling me into her room instead. She pushes the door most of the way closed behind her and she pulls me into a kiss. When we come up for air she gives me a big smile.

_ahh, that smile. One of the reasons I'd do absolutely anything for her..._

"That went well."

"Well it's kind of hard to mess up a kiss, Chlo."

"No, I meant with coming out to Sherry."

"Oh yeah. I figured that she'd be fine with it, I just knew that we had to check her out first to make sure."

"Yeah. Hey, I think there's something we need to check out."

"What's that?" Max tilts her head and raises an eyebrow.

"How long we can kiss." I lean in and kiss her. The whole world and all I feel Is her lips and her hand snaked around me.

I hear something hit the wall followed by silence. "uhh..." I pull back to see a young girl standing in the doorway and a man walk up behind her with a mustache and beer belly.

_Well shit, hi Jeff._

"What the hell is going on here?!" Jeff yells at us. the girl runs down the stairs and I can hear movement from all the way in the living room. Jeff charges forward and takes Max by the collar, backhanding her in the face. "You little hussy!"

"Back off, Fuck head!" I kick him behind the knee and he lets go of Max, falling sideways. Max runs for the door and down the stairs.

"Why you little CUNT!" Jeff gets up and he punches me square in the head. As his fist connects with my eye socket I stumble backwards. "You Dyke whore" he tires to punch me again and I deflect it, punching him square in the nose. He gets me in the gut and I double over on his fist.

"Jeffery!" I turn my head to see Vanessa standing in the doorway, Sherry and Ryan standing in the doorway. "What the hell is wrong with you Jeff?!" Sherry come at him and gets in his face.

"Back off you fucking dyke lover!" He goes to smack her but I grab his arm and punch him in the ribs a few times before he throws me off.

" **ENOUGH**!" I feel arms pull me off to the side and Ryan walks up getting in Jeff's face. "You come into MY house and think that you can hurt my daughter and her girlfriend? Well fuck **YOU!** Get the hell out of my house before I call the cops and don't come back!" Jeff looks at Ryan with murder in his eyes and Ryan stares right back, fists clenched and looking ready to kill him. Jeff takes a swing at him, but Ryan dodges it and punches him right in the throat. He grabs Jeff by the scruff of the neck and half drags him out the door and down the stairs as Sherry helps me to my feet. I run down the stairs and rush over to Max. She runs into my arms and I hold her close as Ryan throws Jeff out the door. "Susan, I have no beef with you or the kids but I think you guys need to leave."

"I get it, sorry for this." Vanessa nods and gives her a hug.

As the door closes I turn my attention back to Max, whispering to her as calmly as I can. "Baby, are you okay?"

She nods. "Are you...?"

I chuckle and nod "I've been worse. Besides, you should see the other guy."

"Are you two okay?" Max and I both look over to Ryan.

"I'm fine dad." Max looks over to me with a look of concern.

"I'm good too." I feel my legs begin to shake. "Hey babe, can we sit down?"

Max nods and helps me over to a chair. I sit down and hold my head.

_Fuck, that asshole hits hard..._

"Chloe, look at me." I look at Ryan and blink a few times. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three." I hear a gasp and I blink a few times. "What?"

"Chloe, your teeth are bloody..." Max sounds horrified.

"Oh that? My teeth just cut my lip open. I'm fine, really. I just think I might need an ibuprofen or something."

"Right..." I see Max nodding and she walks into the next room. My legs are still shaking and I look up to see Ryan looking at me with concern.

"Well, I don't think you have a concussion, but he sure did hit you pretty hard."

"I know right!" I clear my throat and sigh "Hey, thanks for stepping in there. I didn't exactly wanna go 5 rounds with him."

"I'm pissed off that you even had to go one round with him." He looks over at Vanessa and Sherry. "What happened by the way? I heard shouting and as we were going up to see what was happening Max came down here like a bat out of hell saying 'he's hitting Chloe'." I laugh and smile.

_Of course she'd be only worried about me..._

"Well, Max and I were in her room kissing and then the girl opened the door and when we turned around she was kinda shocked and Jeff just flipped out. He came at Max and backhanded her so I got in his face and told him to back off. Then it was a pretty much one sided fist fight till the cavalry arrived..."

Ryan nods and sighs, sitting in a chair himself and holding his head in his hands. "I try to make this house as safe as I can for my family. I didn't know that was gonna happen. Sorry."

"Hey, you literally dragged the guy down the stairs and threw him out. I think you did a damn good job of keeping us safe. You just needed a moment to react to it. I know you would rather it didn't happen at all but you did what you could."

"Yeah."

Sherry walks over and pats my shoulder. "Thanks for keeping Max and I from Jeff's tantrum there..."

"Hey, you guys are family. This isn't my first scrap either. There was this one time..." Max comes in and hands me a pill and a glass of water. "thanks, love." I give her a peck on the cheek and take the pill with a sip of water. Max wraps her arms around my neck from behind me and rests her chin on my head. "One time, there was this kid named Toby. My friend Rachel and I were out at the mall and Toby comes down the stairs and tries to kiss Rachel. She shoves him away and says 'get away you asshole, no means no'. Well Toby thought that he was just going to charm her into a kiss and so he tried to lay the moves on her. I walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder. As he was turning around to say something..." I begin to laugh a little bit as I'm talking. "I wail on him right in the face. He falls over and he can't believe that he just got hit by a girl. So, he gets up and tries to intimidate me, so I knock him on his ass again. And by this time Rachel is walking off and I go to follow, but Toby grabs me from behind and pulls me to the floor. I figure well, if he can't let it go then I won't either. So, we rolled around on the floor beating the ever living snot out of each other until Rachel got the mall security over and they even had to get an off duty cop and a cashier to pull me off of Toby."

"I remember that." We all look over at Joyce who's holding a cup of coffee and smiling. "I got a phone call from the parents the next morning, notifying me that their kid came to home in bloody clothes and covered in bruises and saying that YOU beat him up. So I says 'well, my daughter tells me that he assaulted a girl and that he repeatedly attacked her. I think you should talk with _your_ son'. Oh boy, did I get an ear full from his mother." We all have a good chuckle and the mood lightens greatly.

I hear Max laugh in my ear and then sigh. "That's my girl."

_Yes I am. And that laugh, so beautiful..._

Vanessa and Ryan are sitting next to and leaning into each other, holding hands. Mom is drinking her coffee and she beings a small conversation with Sherry about cooking. I take Max's hand and kiss the back of it. I whisper "I love you, Max." and she nods.

She whispers back "I love you too, Chloe." We both smile and enjoy the evening with **_our_** family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go Papa Caulfield. It took me a while to figure out who (if anyone) would be opposed to Max and Chloe's being together. I finally decided to invent some people because I couldn't think of anyone in Max's family that's cannon who would have problems with it.
> 
> Anyhow, I will be starting with an "uploading every Monday schedule". It's hard for me to not just post a work right when I have new material, but I also have times when I need to brainstorm or life gets busy and I don't have time to write. Or sometimes I can't get in the right mood to write a piece. ANYWAYS, I think everyone will like a little order in my posting schedule.
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On


	19. Back to the Bay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a bunch of comments from accounts with the names and pictures of various LiS characters and it made me cry and smile and it's just awesome. I would recommend reading the comments and their replies because there is a massive back and fourth between "Chloe Price" and "Maxine Caulfield" and it's amazing:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYoINidnLRQ

After a few days of sight seeing, Max and I decide to go home. After lots of hugging and promises to visit again, we finally hit the road. Max insists on starting the drive home. I take the passenger seat, pulling my beanie down over my eyes and leaning my head against the window, while mom sits in the back seat with the box. After several hours, we pull over at a rest stop. "Alright girls, this is where I take my bathroom break. Y'all figure out who's drivin and I'll be back soon." Mom gets out of the car and begins walking to the restrooms.

I get out of the car, followed by Max, and we take a seat on a bench. I take her hand and we sit there in pleasant silence for a few moments. "Chloe?"

"Yeah Max?" I squeeze her hand and look over at her.

"What are we going to do now?" She raises an eyebrow and sighs. "I mean, we've helped out Kate and Victoria, we've visited each other's parents and we just, don't really have anything on the horizon. At least nothing that I can see..." Max looks down at her feet and runs her free hand through her hair.

"Love, look at me." I wait until she does and then I hold her cheek, kissing her forehead gently. "We still have so much ahead of us. First of all, you have school to go to. then we have to attend the various school functions together, beyond all of that we also have to start looking to our future together. There is so much opportunity that is possible. We have our whole lives ahead of us Max. Even if we achieve our different goals there is so much that we could do, so much in this world that we could see, so much to experience..." I choke up for a minute and take a deep breath. "As long as we're together...it's not over...not now...not yet."

I close my eyes and I feel Max kiss my tears away. She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me close. "What are you thinking..."

"I'm scared Max, I'm so, so scared. I don't fear dying, but I fear dying without leaving my mark on the world. I want to leave something meaningful. I want to have lived a life worth living! I don't want to die a failure!" I begin to sob into her shoulder as she rubs my back. I gasp a few times and after a few minutes I've calmed down to where I can breath normally. I pullback and wipe my eyes.

"You're not a failure, Chloe. And I won't let you become one. I'm here for you and I'm here with you. To the end." Max sighs and kisses my cheek. "Let's take a picture."

"Okay..." I lean against Max and she pulls out her camera, taking a picture. I look over at her as the picture pops out and she sobs putting the camera down next to her gently and holding me tight. "What is it baby, what's wrong..."

"Don't you fucking dare ride the train when we get home or so help me I'll kill you myself." She sobs again and squeezes me for dear life.

_The train. What the hell...?_

"Max, why are you telling me to avoid a train?"

"Because you die you moron!" She whisper yells into my ear. "It happens next weekend. You want to go to Portland and we end up taking a train. We were going to take a bus the first time around but that crashed too," Max gasps and I rub her shoulder slowly. "I came back through the picture and so I'll forget this in a few moments. Just remember, no bus and no train. Tell me about it when I ask you what happened and make sure to take a picture once we get home tonight..."

"Okay, I will."

"Be safe you idiot, otherwise I'll have to come back here again." I nod fiercely and Max goes limp in my arms. After a second that feels like an eternity, Max gasps and sits upright. "W-what happened...?"

"I died twice." Max's eyes go wide and I grin a little. "You came back through the picture to warn me. I was going to go to Portland next weekend but I die if I either take the bus or the train, so I guess we'll not be going to Portland. Also, I was told to tell you this after you came to and you have to take a picture when we get home." Max nods slowly and then sighs, kissing my cheek.

"Thanks for the heads up..."

"Hey, you gave it to me. Besides, our life could always use a little more excitement."

"I wish it would be a little less of this kind of excitement though. At this rate when I get back in time you'll be able to tell it's a future me cause I'll suddenly have grey hair that'll just carry over to whatever body I'm in."

"So I guess you shouldn't go back in time to when you were a kid. Imagine going back to your first day of school and you look in the mirror to see grey hair."

Max smiles and laughs quietly. "That would be something." She takes my hand and kisses it, smiling at me wide. "Speaking of the good old days, I was thinking we could do something crazy for the Halloween party, and we could base it off of something from our past."

"That sounds good. What were you thinking?" I look over at the restrooms and see that mom hasn't come out yet.

"Well, we could be pirates." Max smiles and nods towards my head. "You could be captain blue beard after a fierce fight with a barber."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, last time I checked you don't have a beard."

"True." I look back again and see that mom still hasn't come out.

_What's taking her so long...?_

"Joyce is taking quite a while."

"Yeah...Hey Max, let's go check on her." I stand up and take Max's hand, heading towards the bathrooms. I pull on the handle and I see mom inside. She is leaning over the sink, looking down and sweating profusely. "Hey mom." She looks up at me with wide eyes and keeps looking at the stall behind her with her eyes, not moving her head. I feel Max's hand on my mouth I look down to her and she places a finger to her lips. I feel her hand on the small of my back and it moves along my back until it rests on David's handgun. She takes it and pushes me forward, nodding towards my mother.

_If she's acting like this, it must mean that something happens and I shouldn't have the gun on me. That mean's I probably got killed or hurt..._

I slowly walk forward and place a hand on my moms shoulder. "Hey, you okay? You look a little spooked."

"Chloe run!" she shoves me and starts running for the door. A stall door flies open and a woman with a gun comes out. She levels the gun at me and...

**_BANG_ **

The woman's eyes go wide.

_**BANG** _

There is a flash as she starts to fall backward.

_**BANG** _

She hits the floor with a thud and her handgun falls out of her hand, scraping against the floor. I look over at Max and her hands are shaking as they drop down to hear waist. Max collapses to her knees and I rush over. "Max!" I see a small hole in her shirt and there is some blood coming out of her right shoulder. I reach into her camera bag and pull out her handkerchief and press it into the wound. I hold pressure on it and I help Max onto her feet.

"I am at the rest stop 10 miles north of Arcadia Bay and someone has been shot...no, they're dead...I went into the restroom and someone pulled out a gun and was going to mug me. When my daughter and her friend came in to check on me, they tried to shoot her but her friend shot them first...Joyce...her shoulder...okay." Mom looks over at me and then at Max. "An ambulance will be here soon, just keep pressure on the wound and lets get her outside." She continues to talk on the phone but I can't hear her. I'm helping Max outside and I sit her down on the bench. I pull the gun out of her fingers and put it in my waistline after clicking the safety on.

I lean in close and take a deep breath. "Why didn't you rewind baby?"

"I did. You and J-joyce...died...several times and...the time...before this I g-got...shot right...in the... the c-center of my chest..."

"Okay, don't talk love. Just breath. Breath and stay calm." I hold her while keeping pressure on the wound. "It's okay now. We're safe. You did it again, baby. You saved us." I hear sirens approaching. I tilt her head and look into Max's eyes. "Maxine Caulfield, will you marry me?"

"C-chloe..." Max looks irritated but I shush her.

"Say yes or no, now. I need to know before the ambulance gets here." she slowly nods and takes a deep breath.

"Y...ye....yes..." Max's eyes slowly begin to close and I reach into my back pocket. I pull out a plastic sandwich bag with two rings in it and I open it with one hand. I place a ring on her finger and one on mine. I slip the sandwich bag into Max's messenger bag and keep the pressure on her wound again.

_Well, I wanted it to be special. I don't think this counts as anything normal, which kinda makes it special..._

"As far as the world is concerned, we're married." I blink the tears out of my eyes. "You're going to live Max. You have to. You have to live and we're going to really get married and live a real life together. You better live or I'm going to kick your skinny ass all the way to the afterlife." I finally choke up and I see the ambulance pulling up to the parking lot. A paramedic rushes over to us and he helps Max to her feet. We move over to the ambulance and after she gets lifted in, I walk over to step up.

The paramedic holds out his arm in front of me. "Sorry, family only."

"I'm her wife." I hold up the hand with the ring on it and he looks at me sideways for a moment. He moves his arm away and I hop in. He gets up and closes the door behind him. The ambulance takes off and I can hear the wail of the siren in the background. Max's eyes open and she looks over at me, smiling.

The paramedic looks between us and then looks at Max. "How much pain are you in?"

"None." Max lets out a breath and closes her eyes, "None at all."

\---------------------------------

I tap my foot impatiently. I think of everything that I told the officer and sigh. I glance over at mom, who got there partway through being interviewed.

_Good thing I had that concealed carry license from when I turned 18. I just hope that Max isn't in any bad trouble..._

I look up as the nurse walks in. I stand up and I hear mom stand up across from me. The nurse stops in front of us and looks down at a clipboard. "Chloe Price?"

"That's me." I clear my throat. "Is she okay?"

"Your wife is stable. She lost a lot of blood and so she's resting right now. She's out of surgery and she should make a full recovery."

"When can I see her."

"Well, you would have to talk to the officer at the door, but since you are the family there is no _hospital_ rule against you being in the room. Which is," She checks the clipboard and looks back at me. "232."

"Okay, thank you." I give mom a quick hug and begin walking down the hall. As I approach the room, I see two familiar faces.

"Chloe." David looks at me with a sad look in his eye.

"David." I look back at him with determination in my eyes. "What's going on."

Officer Berry steps away from the door. "I was just filling David in on what I've heard. What exactly happened?"

"Well," I sigh and hold my hand, playing with the ring on it. "I was talking with Max while we were waiting for mom to get out of the bathroom. When she didn't come out, we went in to check on her. I had David's handgun because of a scare with someone stalking Max. When we went into the bathroom, I asked mom how she was doing and she looked at us. She was motioning to the stall behind her where the lady with the gun was. I didn't get it but Max put her hand over my mouth so I didn't say anything that would give her away. She took the gun out of my waistline and she pushed me forward. When I got over to mom I asked what was wrong and she shoved me away and screamed 'Chloe run'. We made a b-line for the door and when the stall flung open Max shot the woman, who ended up getting a shot off at Max, hitting her in the shoulder."

They both nod and David comes over, giving me a quick hug and patting my back. "I'm going to check on your mother. I'll see you later, Phil."

"See ya, David." Officer Berry sighs and looks up at me. "This is a pretty clear case of self defense. Besides I know that you're not gonna do something stupid like try to break her out of her own hospital room, so I'll let you in. You can stay as long as you want, just make sure to let someone know if anything happens."

"Of course. I'll be seeing you around, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He gives me a hug and I hug him back.

_A few years ago, I would never have thought I would be hugging him, but here I am._

"See ya later." I walk into the room and close the door behind me slowly. I look over and see Max, laying in bed. The monitor beeps with her heart beat. I walk over and sit down, taking her hand. I look at her hand where I slid the ring on, noticing it's missing.

_It's probably with her stuff. Besides, the ring isn't what matters, it's what it stands for. That's what can't be replaced. And I know that we have it. The love and affection._

"Max, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here. I'm by your side." I kiss the back of her and run my thumb along it. "You're supposed to get better and make a full recovery. I don't know what will happen after you get out of here, but no matter what, I'll be here for you every step of the way. You are my world, Max." I feel the tears coming again, but I just close my eyes and lean forward, letting my head drop. "I love you. Now, and forever more." I let the tears fall slowly and silently as the constant beeps of Max's heart beat through the machines lulls me to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to update sooner but I've spent a lot of my time working on one of my other fics: "Hot as fire - Calm as water". (I would recommend it for someone who wants a different take on Kate's personality). My schedule is in tatters and I'm just gonna update when I have time. Thank you for your patience and please don't have me for being so all over the place.
> 
> As this fic approaches 20 chapters, I'm really amazed at how well it is going. I dislike my own writing because I always feel like it's not good enough. But with this fic, I feel a bit better than with my others. I feel like I put together something somewhat decent and I'm looking forward to keeping it going.
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On.


	20. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ THE COMMENTS:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYoINidnLRQ

I take a sip of the water and sigh. "Thanks David..."

"No problem." He sighs and nods over to the sandwich he brought. "Not hungry?" I shake my head and put the water down, taking Max's hand in mine again. "You sure you should be holding her hand with the IV and everything?"

I finally look over to David, blinking a tear out of my eyes. "The only think keeping me from laying next to her is all the tubes and the fact that there's no room." My voice sounds foreign to me. It's horse and rough.

"Okay." David nods with a sad, knowing smile. "I hear that the only time you leave is when you use the bathroom. Is that true?"

"Yeah." I glance back to Max for a moment. "I don't want her to be alone. I've woken up in the middle of no where, having no idea where I am or what happened. It's scary. Max is tough, but the last thing she needs is to wake up alone..."

David nods and points to my eye. "Speaking of tough, Joyce told me the a little of the story behind that shiner. You mind filling me in on what she missed?"

I smile and put Max's hand back at her side, patting it gently. I pick up the water bottle and take a few drinks. "We were at Max's house, visiting family. Her mother's brother Jeff caught us kissing because his daughter opened the door on us. He came at Max and back handed her. I stepped in there and Max booked it downstairs. Jeff socked me in the eye and the gut. Max's father Ryan and his sister Sherry came running upstairs and Sherry got in his face. He was going to hit her but I grabbed ahold of his arm and started hitting him. He threw me to the floor and Ryan stepped up. As Sherry was helping me up, Ryan punched Jeff in the throat and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He dragged Jeff downstairs and threw him out the door." I wind up smiling and David nods at the end.

"It wounds like you've been protecting her a lot lately. First with Steve and then Jeff not too long after that."

"Yeah, I just wish that I was the one who go the short end of the stick this time..." I look at Max's face. Her eyes are closed and her hair is messy. She looks so small and fragile that it scares me to think that someone hurt her.

_At least they're never going to hurt Max again. She made sure of that..._

I feel David's hand on my shoulder and he squeezes it gently. I look back at him and give him a hug. He hugs back and we sit there for a few moments of comfortable silence. "I didn't know you two were married."

I lean back and chuckle, rubbing my neck. "Well, we aren't"

"You just said that to get to ride with her and see her, right?" David gives me a smirk and I nod. "I would have done the same in your place." He looks over at Max and sighs.

"We are engaged though." David nods and I look at the ring on my hand. "I gave her a quick proposal as the ambulance was coming to pick her up. She said yes and I gave her a ring. I assume they put it with her stuff, but even if they didn't it's replaceable."

"That it is. That it is..." David sighs and stands up, stretching a bit. "Well, I'll go home and tell your mother that you're okay." He walks to the door and holds the handle. "Make sure to eat that sandwich before it goes bad." He opens the door and begins to walk out.

"I will." I reply before he closes the door. After it shuts, I look back at Max, taking another drink and then holding her hand. "You won't wake up alone baby. I'm here for you, always." I close my eyes and ignore the violent pain in my stomach that comes with not eating in 4 days.

\-------------------

I sit down in my chair, sighing as I look over at the sandwich.

_You know, it's probably bad by now. I mean, David gave it to me yesterday morning and I haven't touched it. The sun set hours ago and the night shift nurse came in and changed her IV about 20 minutes ago._

I run my freshly washed hands together and sigh, shutting my eyes and crossing my arms.

_Well, I've used the bathroom and I got a quick drink at the water fountain. I should be good till morning._

A groan makes my eyes fly open and the thought of rest leaves my mind before sleep takes me. I look up and see Max's head moving from side to side. I take her hand in mine and lean closer. "C-Chloe...Chloe, where are you? Chloe..."

I squeeze her hand and move closer. "I'm here baby. I'm here. I haven't left your side..."

Her eyes slowly open and she looks at me. "Oh Chloe..." Tears well up in her eyes, and I can hear her heart bear change to a more frantic one. "Is... is everyone okay?"

"Yes baby, everyone's okay." I can feel her weakly squeezing me hand as she slowly blinks the tears out of her eyes. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."

"How long have you been here?" Her voice is weak, but it holds concern.

"I had to wait in the lobby when you were in surgery and I talked to the police. After you were in your room I came in here and I sat down and I've only left your side to use the bathroom." I hear my voice wavering frantically with joy that Max is awake.

Max looks up at me and smiles. "It's good to see you right when I wake up." Max looks over to the window and sighs.

"Sorry for keeping you here all day." Max looks back at me with an apologetic look.

"Max..." I blink a few times and bite my lip looking at the floor. "You've been out cold for more than a day."

Silence hangs in the air and makes it thick. "How long was I out?"

"5 days..."

"What?!" Max looks at me with wide eyes. "I've been out for 5 days!" She looks around her again and her heart monitor picks up speed.

"Baby, calm down." I stand up and move over to her. "Look at me." She looks at me and I lean in close to her, hearing a longer than usual pause in the beeping. Her heart slows and I kiss her carefully. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

"You said you didn't leave my side except to use the bathroom. Does that mean you've been here for...for 5 days without leaving...?" I nod and I hear another too long pause in her heart monitor. "Chloe..."

"I couldn't leave you Max. You're my entire life. I couldn't bare the thought of you waking up and being scared and alone. I had to be here." I blink away a few tears.

I feel Max's hand on my cheek and I close my eyes as she wipes away my tears. "Your face is thinner..."

"I haven't eaten since we left Seattle."

"Chloe, that was 6 days ago..." Max's voice is full of fear and concern.

"I know." I open my eyes and see her looking back at me with an intense stare. "I've been hungry the entire time, Max. I was too scared to leave you to get food. I thought that if I left, something might happen to you." I choke up and have to take a deep breath. "I know that it's silly but I'm fine. Besides, David brought me a sandwich yesterday morning."

"pull up your chair and eat." Max says, more demand than request. I pull up my chair and look at her for a moment, taking the sandwich and unwrapping it. I take a bite and laugh. "What is it?"

"It's a peanut butter sandwich. They knew that I wasn't going to eat when they gave it to me so they made me something that wouldn't spoil even if it went untouched for a long time..." I take another bite and soon I'm wolfing down the second sandwich that is in the wrapper. When I'm done I crunch up the wrapper and set it on the bedside table, wiping my hand on my pants and taking Max's hand again. She squeezes it gently.

"You need to take care of yourself, Chloe." Max sighs and looks out the window again. "I need you..."

"I need you to, baby." I look at my shoes and half heartedly study the laces. "Do you remember what happened after you were shot?"

"I remember your proposal." I look up to see Max with a big grin on her face. "You son of a bitch, you had to wait until I got shot to propose to me..."

"I was going to tell them we were married anyways. I just wanted a little truth to it. Besides," I begin to smile myself and I chuckle. "It is special. You saved my life and risked your own. It was a life altering experience and it was you saving us all yet again..." I take a deep breath and look into her eyes. "I couldn't think of a more special moment to do it."

"Thank you. I couldn't really say it at the time due to the whole fighting to stay alive thing, but being your wife is going to be amazing..." Max looks down at her hands and then back at me. "By the way, where's the ring?"

I chuckle and reach into my pocket. "It was with your other belongings. I didn't want to put it on incase something happened and they needed to give you the paddles or something. You know how metal interferes with electricity and such." Max nods and I sigh. "You know, blood loss makes it hard to think sometimes, so I'll ask you this to make sure." I drop down on one knee beside the bed and take Max's hand. "Maxine Caulfield, will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Max smiles and nods, "Yes." I slide the ring onto her finger and stand up, leaning over and kissing her again. She smiles into the kiss and looks at me as I sit down. "For the record, the first proposal is the official one. I really liked the heat of the moment question."

I smile and kiss the back of her hand. looking into her eyes. "Max, when you get out of here, we are going to change things. We are gonna get married and start the rest of our lives together, okay? You'll never have to be alone again..."

Max smiles up at me and there is a long pause in her heart beat. I quickly glance up as it beeps again and sigh in relief. "You'll never be alone again either, Chloe." With that, Max slowly takes a deep breath and looks out the window again. "I'll make sure of it."

\-----------------------

I sit with Max all night and we watch the sunrise together. When the nurse comes in to change the IV, Max smiles at her and waves. After the hospital opens, for visiting hours, mom and David stop in. "Hey girls." mom peaks her head in slowly.

"Hey Joyce. It's nice to see you." Max smiles in a way the brightens up the room, despite the vast amount of sunlight streaming in through the window.

"Hey Max, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing good. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I mean shucks darlin', you're the one who got shot." mom gives her a concerned look, but Max just smiles.

"I figured it was about time that I start pulling my own weight. Chloe's already protected me twice."

"Well we aren't keep score. That's not what family does." Mom sits next to me and David sits next to her. "I'm happy you're okay."

"You know, I am too. I never thought I'd be excited for school but I'm kinda hoping that I can get back to a normal life sometime soon."

"You and me both." I add in.

The three of us catch up on what's been going on and we have a good time. When David and mom leave, Kate and Victoria stop by just to check in, but spend the rest of the day catching up with us. When visiting hours come to a close, Max is told that she has to stay one more night. When we're alone, she holds my hand and tell me that I can go home.

"No."

"Chloe-"

"Max, I'm not leaving you." I look at her with determination and squeeze her hand. "I'm staying with you. It's only one more night. I'll be fine. Besides, I can't sleep when you're away..." Max nods and smiles. I kiss her forehead and take a seat beside her. We talk until she falls asleep and I fall asleep soon after, the sound of her heart monitor assuring me that she's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is one of the comments from the video I mentioned in the last update. I'll just leave it hear and cry, Enjoy:
> 
> "Max. Please, don't feel guilty. Please. I could never hate you for saving everyone, for the choice I made. It's better this way, isn't it? One life in exchange for hundreds? Thousands? It wouldn't be fair. I know that now. I'm sorry for every bad thing I ever said about you. I'm sorry for hating you all those years.
> 
> Rachel and Dad want to thank you for keeping an eye on me. Dad misses you, Rachel wishes she could've met you.
> 
> Thank you for saving me every time you did, Max. Thank you for being my angel. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for just everything.
> 
> I hella love you, SuperMax. Don't forget about me.
> 
> -Hella from the other side,  
> Chloe Price."
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On...


	21. A step into the unknown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OVER 20 CHAPTERS! So happy that this is going on and it's still being read. I hope you enjoy.

I awake to the sound of a slow, steady beeping. The sun is beating in through the window, a brilliant golden yellow. I open my eyes slowly and take in the scene.

_You know, photography is Max's thing not mine, but I wouldn't mind taking a picture of this. Wouldn't be as good as one of hers though._

I look over at Max and see her, laying still and silent. Her heart monitor is still going, but it is not the same as when she is awake. It is slower and it feels sadder. I look at her relaxed, calm face. I smile to myself and sigh dreamily, thinking about what is to come.

_Wow, Max and I getting married. I know that this is hella not normal, but who the hell wants to be normal..._

I sit in wonder of all the things that come, not knowing a single thing that will happen beyond that I will be with Max.

_I don't even know where we'd begin with anything after the wedding. We're going to be together, but where would we go from there?_

I shake my head, looking back at Max.

_I guess I'll just have to enjoy life as it happens..._

\--------------------

When the doctor comes in, Max is still asleep. I take her hand and squeeze her shoulder. "Baby, wake up." I shake her gently and she groans, annoyed, opening her eyes and looking at me. "The doctor's here. We're going to sign you out and we can go home."

"Okay." Max yawns as she speaks and nods. I sit back down and the doctor comes over, clipboard in hand and smile on his face.

"Well Miss Price, you are going to have to keep a close eye on that arm and make sure to keep the wound clean, but you are ready to go home." The doctor discusses with Max and I about how to clean her wound, and what to watch out for. Part way through our conversation, a nurse comes in and unhooks Max from all the machinery and the IV. After she leaves the doctor continues and, when he is done, he gets up out of the chair he's been sitting in and smiles at us again. "I hope you two have a nice rest of your day. You can draw the curtain and get dressed whenever you'd like." Max nods and I stand up, drawing the curtain and helping Max sit up.

I smile at Max and kiss her cheek. "You're lucky I love you so much."

She sighs as I help her get dressed. "Yes, yes I am..." I nod, helping her get her shirt around her arm.

"Speaking of lucky, you're lucky that Mom and I were there. It will make court so much easier."

"C-court...?" Max sounds scared and I can see that her body stiffens a little.

I rub her good shoulder and look into her eyes, bringing my voice down to a low whisper. "Yes, love. We have to go to court over this. It's unavoidable. But, you haven't done anything wrong. You were defending us and you just have to tell them what happened. You have to just let them know that we thought something was up, you took the handgun just incase there was trouble, and then you used it when you saw the woman had a gun herself. You were scared and you did what you could to defend us..." I lean in and gently hug her. "And I'm very happy that you did. It's a terrible thing that happened, but in the end as long as we're both here, I'll get through any regret or pain I have. That sounds selfish, but at the end of the day everyone is a little selfish..."

Max nods into my shoulder and sighs. She sits down and finishes dressing. When she is done, she stands up and I take her hand. I give her a passionate, loving kiss that she happily returns. When we finish, I smile and we walk out of the room, walking towards the unknown, but shared future.

\--------------------

I sigh and straighten my tie, sitting down in the chair that is at the witness stand. I look over at Max, who is wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt after giving her testimony.

_That public prosocutor was a bit of an asshole, but I guess he's just doing his job..._

Frank clears his throat and approaches me. "Miss Price, what happened on the day in question?"

_I am never going to get used to the fact that Frank is certified to practice law in Oregon._

"Well, I was sitting at the rest stop with my fiancé..."

"Can you point her out in this courtroom today?"

"Yes I can. It is the defendant right there, Maxine Caulfield." As I point to Max I can see her parents sitting behind her.

_They were so worried when the police called them. They've been sleeping in the living room for 2 weeks..._

"Okay, please, continue."

"Well, Max and I were sitting on the bench and we were waiting for my mother to come out of the restroom. She had been in there for a while, so I went in to see if something was wrong. I figured that maybe she was sick or something. When I entered, I saw her hunched over, gripping the sink. When I tried to talk to her she looked scared."

"How could you tell she was scared?"

"She was gripping the sink for dear life, her eyes were wide, and she had this look to her and I felt something was off about it. The only time I'd seen her like that was when she was really, really scared when I was younger."

"Is this when the defendant too the firearm from you?"

"Yes, it is." I remember the conversation about it I had with Max.

\-------------

_I look over and Max is looking around, finally seeing me and getting up to hug me, putting weight on her arm and whimpering in pain. I run over and hold onto her. "Max, hey, I'm here." I kiss her forehead and sigh. "You don't remember anything do you?"_

_"I..." Max pulls back and looks me up and down. "I remember... I remember!" Max kisses me and holds me tight. "I was there the whole time...!" She begins to cry and I hold her tighter._

_"Max..."_

_"Yeah?"_

_"Do you still agree with the choices you made before?"_

_"Yeah. That was still me, making the same decisions I would have made. It wasn't like before. I didn't just go on auto pilot, I was still there, making the choices, but it's just a bit disorienting doing this, yanno?"_

_"I guess." I pause for a minute and think. "So are you saying that you didn't just return to this moment after you told me all that stuff?"_

_"Yeah. It was strange. I was still there, but it was like I was living in the back of my own head. It's hard to explain." She sighs and shakes her head, nuzzling into me._

_"Well, that's good. Hey, why didn't you warn me about the bathroom before hand...?"_

_"I did. But you just kept running in there and getting someone killed."_

_"Oh..." I sigh and look down at the floor. "Sorry..."_

_"It's fine." Max smiles and sighs. "And before you ask, I did have control over what happened after the photo jump so I still want to marry you."_

_"Did you rewind to answer my question before I asked it?"_

_Max pulls back with a little frown on her face. "No, Chloe. I just know you really well."_

_I chuckle and kiss her gently. "Hey, don't be upset. I'm just asking."_

_\-------------_

"Miss Price...?" I blink a few times, seeing Frank looking at me worriedly. I nod a few times and look at him. "My question was, why were you carrying a firearm to begin with?"

I sight and clear my throat. "Well, we were returning from Seattle and when we left at the beginning of our trip, there was someone who was stalking Max, so my step father told me to take a firearm incase I had to defend Max and myself. I still had the firearm on me at the time because I'd just gotten into the habit of carrying it during the trip."

"Now is it true that you have a concealed carry license?"

"Yes." I nod and Frank moves around, pacing slowly.

"Why is that, miss Price?"

"Because I figured that if one day I saw fit to carry a firearm, I should have the correct permits to do so."

"I see. Now, what happened after the Maxine Caulfield took the firearm from your possession?"

"I approached my mother and put my hand on her shoulder. I ask her if she was okay because she looked spooked. She then shoved me away and yelled for me to run. So, I start running for the door and I turn around to see a woman come out of one of the stalls, pointing a handgun at us. Then, there were three shots. After the first one, the woman looked stunned, the second one was from her gun because there was a flash from it, and with the third shot, she fell over dead..." I take a breath and find that I'm looking at the floor. I look back at Frank. "I turned to see Max, holding the handgun. She fell to her knees and I rushed over, seeing the would in her shoulder from being shot. That is when I helped her outside and we waited for the ambulance that was coming. My mom had dialed 911 after the shots were fired."

"I see. No further questions your honor."

The judge nods and looks over at the prosecutor. "Does the prosecution have any questions?"

The prosecutor shakes his head. "The people do not have any questions for this witness your honor."

The Judge looks over at me with a neutral look. "Okay. You may go Miss Price." I nod and go back to sit behind Max, next to her parents and my mother.

Frank looks over his notes and then stands up. "The defense would like to call David Madsen to the stand."

\--------------------

After David's testimony verifying the story about Steve stalking Max, there are the closing arguments and the jury goes off to deliberate. I look over at Ryan and Vanessa. "Hey."

"Hey, Chloe." Ryan smiles over at me. "What's up?"

I sigh and shrug. "I don't know, I'm just nervous I guess."

"Why's that? We all know Max didn't do anything wrong."

"I don't know. It's just... these people can decide the fate of the person I love. That alone is a bit scary. And the fact that we're even here to begin with kinda freaks me out..."

"Yeah." Ryan nods and sighs himself. "I kinda freaked out when I heard about it." I nod and look around at the people there. I'm sitting right behind Max with her parents on my left and my mother and David on the right. Behind us are Kate and Victoria (who are holding hands pretty tightly) as well as Warren and Brooke. I hear the door open, the jury walking out of the deliberation room. I take a deep breath and try to breath steady.

The Judge looks over at the Jury. "What is the verdict of the jury?"

A woman stands up looking at a piece of paper in her hands. "The Jury finds the defendant, not guilty to the charge of murder in the second degree." I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in and I feel Max do the same.

The judge picks up the gavel and nods. "I render a verdict of not guilty. Case dismissed." She pounds the gavel and stands up, collecting her papers and going into the next room. Max stands up and walks around the gate, coming over to me. I pull her into a tight hug and she buries herself into me, shaking gently. As people clear the courtroom, I hear someone clear their throat and look up.

"Hey Frank." I smile and hold out a fist, which he bumps with his own. "Good work man."

"Hey, I went to school for this!" He smiles and shrugs.

"True." I nod slowly. "So, you thinking about turning over a new leaf, being a lawyer?"

Frank's smile fades a little, but he still has a small grin. "I am. I forgot how fulfilling it is to get dressed up and actually do some good." I nod and Frank looks over at Max, and then back at me. "I'm glad I could do some good. Let me know if guys wanna celebrate. I know this place that serves some great baked beans."

He winks at my mother who chuckles. "Sorry Frank, dinner's closed for the week, but feel free to stop over for the bar-bee-que tomorrow."

"I'll make sure to do that. See you folks around." He walks out of the court room and I feel Max move back a little. She kisses me on the cheek and looks around. I look around myself to see our parents as well as Kate and Victoria being the only ones left in the room.

Max sighs and feels the bandage on her shoulder. "We should get headed back."

"Yep." I nod and we walk out, being followed by family and friends. I get into the truck, Max sitting next to me. Mom and David get into the back of Victoria's minivan with Kate calling shotgun and Victoria driving. Ryan and Vanessa jump into their car and we all get driving back. I feel Max take my hand and we intertwine our fingers. I squeeze her hand and she squeezes back. "How are you feeling love?"

"I feel amazing..." She lifts my hand to her lips and kisses it. "I feel free."

I nod and smile. "That's good. So, we go home, change your bandage, and then what?"

"Well, why don't we get the marriage license?" Max chuckles to herself and sighs happily. "I can't wait for the day to come to be married. Won't that be strange? You get a discount on your insurance policy and our taxes change a little, but really we've been married for a while. Just, not on paper."

"Yeah..." I smirk and pull over at the building I want, looking over at Max. "You sure you want to do this? This is one of your last changes to say no..." I feel her squeeze my hand tightly and she nods firmly.

"I want this." Max's voice is full of conviction and it puts my mind at ease.

"Okay Max, lets do this." We each get out and walk up to the building, hand in hand to get the paperwork started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little bit between updates (sorry). I'm trying to get ideas on where to take the story and they aren't coming as easily as I'd like. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I am taking feedback and requests at my email made special for my writing: Fandoms_R_Fun@mail.com
> 
> Thank you all for taking time to read my work.
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On.


	22. It's a fine day for a, punk wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Getting a new Laptop at the beginning of next week and that means more updates! WOO!

After all the paperwork is done and dealt with, Max and I get back into the truck, turning on the CD player. The music from Max's CD gently flows through the cab, leaving us in a pleasant silence. "Babe."

"Yeah?" She looks over at me and I smile.

"I love you."

"No shit." I glance over at her and see her grinning as I begin to cackle with laughter. "I love you too, Chloe."

"Thank you..." I take a deep breath and focus on the road a little more. "Thank you..."

The ride home is filled with nothing but the sounds of the music and Max humming along to a few of the songs.

_With anyone else, at any other time, I would find this hella awkward and boring. But never with Max. She's just special like that._

As we pull into the driveway, I park carefully and sigh, looking over at my fiancé. "Well, my fair Max, do you want to go lay down or try and socialize?"

"I kind of just want to go lay down. It's been a long day. Besides, we all live in the same house. We'll see them for breakfast tomorrow." I nod and knock on the wood of the dash.

"Knock on wood..." I sigh and get out, hearing Max follow me as I head to the door. When I enter the house, I notice that it is pretty quiet.

_Well, maybe they're all snoozing already. Either that or they're giving us some space._

As Max starts to take her shoes off, I close the door and do the same. We go upstairs and walk into my room. I look over to Max's guitar in the corner.

_She's always been more musically inclined than me. Maybe she'll play for me again at some point..._

"Chlo, what are you thinking?" I blink and shake my head. Max is looking at me with curiosity as she gets ready for bed.

"Nothin much. Just lookin at your guitar. You should hella jam out sometime." She nods and stretches, crawling under the sheets and patting the space next to her. I strip down and hop into bed with her, letting her settle into my arms like always. She yaws in her own cute way and I feel my heart skip a beat.

_Such simple things. These small ticks and rituals between us, and they never get old. I'm never tired of being around her and she is never boring to be around. I'm glad that she said yes. I passed the point of no return. I couldn't like without her now..._

I sigh and close my eyes, feeling Max's hands on my hip. She slowly begins to shift and I can feel her teeth in my neck. "Max?" I move my hands to hold onto her hips and she leans into me more.

"I need to unwind baby." She sighs and moves to look into my eyes. "I mean, we're already getting married to it's not like we're committing some kind of sin by having a little fun..."

"You know," I smirk at the sleazy smile that she has, making me blush a little. "I think you might be onto something." She chuckles and goes back to biting my neck, her teeth leaving marks in my skin.

\----------------------------

_I am running. I am running, but I do not move. I do not move because I'm only running in my head. I run and I run but I can't get away, I know I never will. I feel the darkness inside. It's latched on too tight and burrowed in too far, I'm a lost cause. I have no hope. I stopped caring long ago, the day I became alone. That first day I cried, that first night I screamed, that next morning I shook. But all through out, I felt the ideas inside. I saw them again and again, but I didn't want them. They were there, holding my mind as it's hostage. I stopped caring about fun, about love, about life. I was am a shell..._

  
I feel the wind in my hair and the rain on my face. I can hear the thunder of a far storm and I can feel the electricity on my skin. It is all tainted with a faint smell of copper. I open my eyes to see a storm, standing before me in a grand, dark glory.

  
\-----------------------------------

My eyes fly open and I suck in air through my mouth. I look around and I can't see anything. I feel Max's arms wrapped around me and I relax a little.

_That dream, it's been so long since I had that dream. I had it after the tornado missed the bay, and I've had a few different variations since, but I haven't had that specific one since the beginning..._

I reach over and turn on the lamp beside my bed. I turn my head to see Max, nuzzled into me contently. I sigh and stroke her hair gently, looking off into the distance as I do so. After a few minutes, I slid a pillow into her arms and get up. I put on some clothes and grab my MP3 player, walking to the door. I take a deep breath and walk over to my desk. I take out a piece of paper and write a note. I stick it under the lamp on the night table and begin walking downstairs, trying to keep from waking anyone.

I go out to the truck and start it up, driving down the road. I start driving away from town, pulling over near the "Welcome to Arcadia Bay" sign. I pull out the MP3-to-Casset adapter and plug it in, choosing the playlist I made just for these times. I turn up the volume and start driving again. The guitar comes through the speakers and I start to drive a little faster. The music picks up and I turn up the volume, feeling the truck beginning to vibrate.

" _Maze, psychopathic daze, I create this waste. Back away from tangents, on the verge of drastic ways. Can't escape this place, I deny your face. Sweat gets in my eyes, I think I'm slowly dying_ " I turn up the volume, feeling my ears begin to sting. " _Put me in a homemade cellar. Put me in a hole for shelter. Someone by me please, all I see is hate. I can hardly breathe, and I can hardly take it"._ I press down on the gas more, barrowing down the straight road leading away from my home and everyone I care about. " _Despise, PURITY! PURITY! PURITY! PURITY!"_

_FUUUUUCK!_

\------------------------------

I stare out across the view of the ocean, taking deep breaths. I jump out of the bed of the truck, walking around to the side. I look up at the side and scream as loud as I can. "FUUUUUCK!" I punch side of the bed. I feel my fist hitting the metal, the pain pulsating through my hand. I keep screaming and punch it over and over again. I feel my throat burning and my fist feels like it is going to shatter into a million pieces if it touches anything ever again. I just keep punching and screaming.

I feel the blood oozing from my fist. I pull back and look at the back of my hands. The skin of my knuckle is scrapped away in most places and the flesh is a brilliant red, blood flowing from it freely. I smash the side of my fist against the door and look up at the sky. "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" I look up at the stars and begin breathing heavy and fast. "WHAT DID I DO TO GET THIS?!" I grip fistfuls of my hair and begin pulling on it as hard as I can. "I JUST WANT TO BE HAPPY!" I fall to my knees and feel the sting of my hair being pulled from my scalp. "WHY IS THAT TOO MUCH TO FUCKING ASK OF YOU?!"

I let my head fall against the door. I open my eyes and look over at the door. I pull back and let my head hit the door again. I wince at the pain, pulling back and doing it again. I hit my head against the door and I try to scream, but my throat is so raw that it comes out as depraved, unintelligible noises.

_I can't live with what is in my head. I have to keep Max safe from everything, even myself..._

I look over at the road, seeing a dead raccoon on the side of the road.

_I should be like him. I should just let nature use me for what I'm worth, food to the scavengers. I'm worthless as anything else..._

I stand up and begin to walk over, coming to the side of the road. I take a deep breath and pull out my phone, pulling up my conversation with Max, typing out my final message.

_**I'm sorry, Max. I've tried so hard. I've done everything I can. I'm not worth helping anymore, I'm too far gone. I wish we could have lived our lives together, but it wasn't meant to be. This is not goodbye, it is only until next time. Forever yours, Chloe <3** _

I let the tears flow freely and the sobs just begin to wrack my body. By the end of the message, I can barely hold the phone. I let my finger hover above the send button, letting the finality of what I'm about to do sink in.

_I'll just lay down alone, one last time. Then, it will all be over. I'll be at peace-_

my phone begins to ring. I see Max's ID and before I can think I accept the call, putting the phone to my ear. "Chloe, where are you?!" Her voice is shaking and the fear is heavy, almost tangible. I feel my heart sink and I close my eyes tight, remembering my promise.

_Protect her from everything, even yourself..._

"I'm gone, Max."

"No Shit! Where are you!" I can hear the tears in her voice.

In the background, I can hear a groan. "Max? Honey, what are you doing out here? It's 2 in the morning..."

"Go away, Joyce!"

"Max-?"

"G-GET AWAY FR-ROM ME-E!" Max's voice has dissolved into violent sobbing. I feel my gut tie itself in knots and my heart shatter.

_I can't do this... I CAN'T DO THIS TO HER!_

"Max?!" I hear a sob and I take a deep breath. "MAX!"

"W-what Chloe?" I can barely hear the muffled sob of a voice that she is responding with.

"I'm just out for a drive. I'll be back in a little bit, I promise. Go inside and talk with mom, okay?"

There is silence for a moment. I hear some movement and then my mother's voice is on the phone. "Chloe? It's me. Max is freaking out right now. I'm bringing her inside. We'll be waiting for you at the table. Get here soon." She hangs up the phone and I put mine away. I let out a final sob and wipe the tears away with the hand that isn't bleeding.

_I have to protect her from everything, even myself, even if it hurts..._

I take a deep breath and walk back to my truck, getting in and buckling up. I turn back towards Arcadia bay and drive as fast as I can while keeping control of the truck with my functioning hand.

\----------------------------------------

 As I get home, I sneak into my room. I find that the covers are strewn loosely around the bed and the letter is laying on the bed. I pick it up and look it over.

 

**Dear Max,**

**I might not come back tonight. I love you. Just remember that.**

**Be strong and never let the world break you down.**

**You are my world. You are the brightest star in the sky that will never stop shinning.**

**Never forget my love, you mean everything.**

**Chloe <3**

 

I sigh to myself, getting up and walking to the bathroom quietly. I hear a sob from downstairs and some mumbled words, unintelligible yet obviously full of love even from out of ear shot. I pull out the first aid kit, washing out and disinfecting my wounded hand. I bandage it and put things away, turning out the lights as I leave. I walk downstairs, finding my mother on the couch, a shaking Max in her arms.

_I tried to protect her from myself and I just ended up hurting her more. Just like me to mess that all up..._

As I walk into the living room, Max looks up, getting to her feet. She walks over to me and smacks me across the face. "You stupid son of a bitch!" She slams her fist into my chest. "What is wrong with you?!" She sobs and I pull her in close, hugging her as she falls apart. She buries her face in my neck, gripping onto my shirt. "You're a fucking asshole." I hold her tighter and rub her back.

"I know, love. I know." I look over to my mother, who is looking on with a mix of worry and sadness.

She looks over to the backyard, sighing as she walks back upstairs. As she passes me she pats my shoulder, squeezing it firmly. "I'm here for you." Her voice is horse and I can tell that must have been crying herself.

_Jeez, I'm a piece of shit. I know they're both disappointed in me. Fuck..._

Mom disappears and I find myself alone with Max. I continue to hold her for a little while, her tears soaking the collar of my shirt. When she finally pulls back and looks at me, I can see how puffy and red her eyes are. I see how dim they have become, how dead and lifeless in this moment. "This is what I was trying to avoid..."

"What?!" Max croaks at me furiously. "Hurting me? News flash asshole, you fucked that one up royally!" She scowls at me for a moment and then her anger fades away, replaced by a sadness that thickens the air around me. I begin to find it harder to breathe. I grab Max's wrist and bring her outside. She follows me without resistance. I guide her into the passenger seat and I take off again, this time driving slow and safe.

As we reach a wide shoulder of the road outside of town, I pull over and shut off the truck. I get out and close my door, walking around and pulling Max out of her side. I walk her over to the back and drop the tailgate, getting her into the bed. I open up the bag I keep back there, pulling out a couple of comforters. I set one on the bed and I have Max lay on the top of it. I pull the second one over us and use the bag as a sort of pillow. I pull the comforter around us tight and I look up at the stars. I feel Max wrap herself around me. We lay there, staring at the stars for a few minutes. "I had the dream again..."

"Which one?" I feel her warm breath against my neck, making me relax slightly.

"I'm feeling hopeless, standing on the cliff. I can smell blood and I open my eyes to see the storm in front of me..."

Max holds my cheek and turns my head, looking into my eyes. "I'm here for you. I always will be. If that happens again, wake me up. If I ever wake up to a pillow in my arms and a note on the table I will kill you myself..." She leans in and kisses me. I can taste the salt of her tears on her lips and she clings to me. She pulls back and looks into my eyes, her own eyes having life again.

"I'm never doing that again. Ever." I sigh and run the fingers of my food hand through her hair. "I was trying to protect you but I see how stupid it all was. You don't want me to leave you, you want to help me through my problems."

She nods and takes my bandaged hand, looking it over. "I assume that you had a little break down while you were gone?"

I nod, taking out my phone. "I punched the truck a lot and I was about to send this..." I show her the draft and I feel her tighten her grip on me.

"You are never allowed to leave the bed again without waking me up. I don't care if I bitch and complain about it, you are to never go away without me knowing you're not right by my side." She looks deep into my eyes and pulls my bandaged hand against her chest. "This isn't up for negotiation..."

"Okay." I nod and kiss her forehead. "I agree to that." I close my eyes and sigh. I roll onto my side and intertwine myself with Max. "I won't leave your side without letting you know where I'm going and/or what I'm doing."

"And if you ever feel worthless or alone, you're going to tell me."

"I'll tell you." I nod. "You still want to marry an idiot like me...?"

"Hey," Max's voice is firm, but when I open my eyes I can see her smiling. "don't talk about my soon-to-be wife like that."

"Yes ma'am." I nod once and Max giggles quietly. "I love you."

"I love you too." She closes her eyes and nuzzles into me. "Let's rest, okay?"

"I'll setup the mosquito net first." I feel her nod and I untangle myself, setting up the net and then laying back down, cuddling with her again. "sleep tight."

"You too." Max and I fall asleep about the same time, the light from the shinning stars fading from my vision and I relax again, letting my body fall into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though I wrote the first section of "The Arcadian Mob" several months before I strated writng this story, "Blue Psychosis" was the first one that I wrote on AO3 and it is one that I have lots of connection with. I wish I wrote more of it but I find myself with ideas and not knowing how to reach them. That and the fact that I have so many open stories. I'm going to be closing some of them soon and when I don't have to use a borrowed computer things will get on some kind of schedule. I don't know how much more I can write with this story, but it won't be ending soon, that much I can promise. I'm so very sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy this story.
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On.


	23. What were you thinking?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I FINALLY HAVE A COMPUTER AGAIN! WOOO! (Apologizes for the smaller size, but there is more where this came from!"

I open my eyes to find a mess of brown hair on the side of my face, Max's arms wrapped around me.

_I love her. I can't believe she's not more pissed at me after that stunt last night..._

I sigh happily and Max moves, rolling on top of me and giving me a peck on the lips. "We need to talk." I feel my eyes widen and she sighs, looking down for a moment. "Is the thought of marrying me, just that bad...?"

"What? No, baby..."

"Why then." Her voice begins to shake and her lips sag into a frown. "Why did you try to do it, Chloe?"

I take a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment and the looking back at her, feeling my heart crack as tears begin to stream down her face. I see the red around her eyes and i notice how swollen they still are. I remember what I wrote her and what I was going to text her, causing my heart to crack more. "Max..." I feel my throat close up and I have to pause for a moment before speaking. "I had the dream again."

"What dream..?" Max's voice is a bit more even, but it is still sad.

_Damn, I messed up here._

"The dream I had before we went to visit Kate. I've had a few variations on it, but last night was the first time in a while that I had the original. In it, I feel so broken down. It feels like I've lost everything. I am standing at the cliff, near the light house. I can smell my own blood and I open my eyes to see the storm right there..." My vision blurs and I can only see fuzzy movements. I shut my eyes and sigh, waiting for some kind of response. I feel the tears drip down out of my eyes, and then Max's hands coming over and wiping them away. I open my eyes and look up at her, seeing that her face is soft and caring. "What I did last night, I did because I believe you deserve better than me...you deserve someone who is okay and who can care for you better than I can."

Max places her hand over my mouth and rests her forehead against mine, looking into my eyes. "Would you stop talking like that?" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I choose you Chloe, I did before and I will every time. You are so much to me. I turned back time, over and over again to save you. Even when it hurt and even when I had to settle for the less terrible outcome." She opens her eyes and moves her hand away, cupping my cheeks. "I even settled on taking a bullet for you and Joyce over letting something else happen. Even if you might have lived, I couldn't leave that up to luck. I'm a good person, but I wouldn't go to such large extents just for anyone."

"Max-"

"Shut up and listen to me, Chloe. I'm not finished yet..." She pulls back and runs her hand along the side of my head, playing with my hair. "I am going to marry you as long as you'll have me and I am going to love just being around you. I don't care if you think that you deserve it, it's not your choice weather or not I care about you. All you can do is love me back or push me away. And trust me, if you push me away I'm just going to come right back like a boomerang. You can't get rid of me that easy and I know very well that if the thought ever enters your head that it's you doing what you think is best. And I also know that it's as bullshit as the day is long." She looks up at the sky and sees the sun coming over the horizon. "Now be a good lover and kiss your wife while we watch the sun rise."

"Yes Ma'am..." I place a hand on her shoulder, pulling her in and placing my other hand on her hip. I kiss her and let the world around us just fade away, my only focus on the amazing person that is going to be my wife.

_I think that I am the luckiest woman on the face of the earth..._

\-----------------------------------------

I look over at Max, seeing her messy hair and crooked smile looking back at me. "Did I ever tell you that you look sexy first thing in the morning?"

"Nu-uh. Lies."

"No it's true."

"Sounds like communist propaganda to me but okay..."

I smirk and shake my head. "Okay meme girl, don't make me pull over this truck and prove how much I think you're sexy."

Max sighs dramatically and shakes her head. "I guess I could stop." She leans over and kisses my cheek. "But only because I love ya..."

I smile so wide that my cheeks hurt and I nod.  "Yes you do. I am so hella lucky that you came back into my life." I take a turn and pull into the driveway. "I don't usually say something like this, but I feel blessed."

There is a small silence as I unbuckle, looking over at her. She is staring back at me, her mouth open and a few tears in her eyes. "You're messing with me. I can't matter that much to you..."

"Max if this is about yesterday, I promise you on my life-"

"This isn't about yesterday, Chlo. This is about us. Our relationship. You haven't given me anything to be concerned over and you have no doubts about this. That scares me. Why would you choose me to be someone as important as a spouse? What do I have that makes me worth it."

I hold out my hand, using it to cup her cheek. She closes her mouth and nuzzles into it, keeping eye contact. "You have my heart, Max. You are amazing beyond what you see. Even if we set aside the fact that you literally messed with time to save my life on multiple occasions, and if we set aside the fact that you have done more for me for my state of mental health since you came back into my life since anyone else has since dad passed. Even if you set that stuff aside, there if still the fact that we are childhood friends who have always been closer than anyone else. We've always had a healthy way of being around each other and we relied on our friendship more than friendships with anyone else. I have spent so much time trying to be complete and feel okay that I could have just sold it to someone else for a buck an hour and still made a sizable fortune." I sigh and think for a minute. "My point is, Max... We've been so close for so long, that it just feels right. And then you bring back the other things you've done for me which are justifications in their own right..."

I pause and Max opens her eyes. I can see the vulnerable nature inside of them, ready to shatter at the slightest movement or harsh word. "Yeah?"

"I'd be a damn fool to not marry you as soon as I could." I move closer, leaning in and giving her a tender kiss. "You are my world, Maximus. You mean so much! I sound like a broken record saying this stuff all of the time, but that's just because it's always true. You are amazing, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life."

"No other people or exploring what else is out there?"

"I don't want anything that I can't get from being with you. The price of not being with you is too high for anything. Even immortality."

"Chloe-"

"It will never happen so let's not fight about weather or not I'd do that."

"I was just going to say," Max kisses my cheek and nuzzles into me. "That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first of many updates that are going to be made in the coming few weeks and I am so very happy to get back to sharing my writings.
> 
> By the way, if you like a shorter story, look out for the oneshots that I'm dropping here and there.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this update and like I always say...
> 
> Until Next Time, Read On.


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